Mahou Sensei Wafuhanegi
by Omniwhatever
Summary: Having appeared without warning in an unfamiliar forest, the child prodigy Negi Springfield and his friend Fate Averruncus find themselves pulled suddenly into a world of magic far unlike their own. Not a world of Mages and Wizards- But of the world of the Shinju, the Taisha and the Heroes chosen to protect them.
1. Chapter 1

****Author's Notes:****

Hey everyone! Won't say too much here, you came here for the story and not to read me rambling, but just wanted to put a few things here first.

Firstly, I wanna thank diamondparka for helping me come up with the title and description, I was stuck on that for a while. Secondly, a thanks toward MahouShoujoNeko for betaing the story.

Secondly, thanks for clicking. I know this is the first published story on my profile, despite having it since 2009, but don't let that worry you too much about my skill. I've done a lot of writing and some stories before. I just finally decided to post something publicly with this, because I really like both of these series, but they've got pretty small amounts of active stories, doubly so on crossovers, triply in YuYuYu's case, so I wanted to make a crossover and try my hand at writing long stories.

With that all out of the way, hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Magic was an incredible thing. One could bend the elements that shaped the very world to their command, heal the gravest of injuries, and even empower their bodies with strength that let even a small child surpass trained fighters; almost any number of fantastical things beyond the power of normal humans. Mastering aspects of it was a complex matter that could take years, or even decades for most, but Negi Springfield wasn't a normal mage. They possessed an ability with magic that, through extensive training, made them one of the world's strongest mages at just age 11. There was much they knew of magic, but it still held untapped mysteries to the child, mysterious that may have very well been responsible for his current situation.

Negi Springfield was a hard child to truly confound. They had a knack for quickly figuring out problems that people multiple times his age would struggle on, to the point many would call them a genius. However, for once, the situation at hand left them more than a bit perplexed. No, to say Negi would have been merely 'perplexed' would have been an extreme understatement. Baffled, mystified, __bewildered__ was more like it. The child had been traveling with his friend, Fate Averruncus, to the magical world via the gateports connecting it and the old world, Earth, attending to some business matters, dressed in the formal wear to match. Fate in a pure white suit and coat that matched his hair, a dark colored tie contrasting it. Negi in a green colored suit with a button up coat.

Instead of the familiar landscape inscribed over Mars, he and Fate had found themselves in a completely alien world. Multicolored, with root-like lines thicker than a city bus and stretching as far as the eye could see across the landscape. Behind them, a great, glowing tree stood in the distance, radiating a near blinding amount of energy that seemed connected to the roots snaking around the two. In front of them, three large, __things,__ for lack of a better word, floated in the air, firing attacks and striking with limbs at something, engaged in what seemed to be a conflict.

These large creatures, whatever they were, looked nothing like anything either Fate or Negi had seen. One had a midsection that was reminiscent of a skull. The twisted mockery of a face possessed bright teeth with no lips to cover them from the outside world, with eyes and a nose resting above, both being as equally bizarre and seemed to be more part of the skeletal structure than how ones features typically were. Where the forehead usually sat was an additional fissure in the structure like a secondary mouth.

To its right, another creature floated, covered in armor like plates, each dotted with what resembled an eye, and looking somewhat like a shrimp overall. Circling around it were six pink colored panels, the exact purpose unknown, but perhaps it was some kind of shield.

The final monster, taking up the left flank, was the most bizarre. Its body segmented into numerous yellow orbs, with its body thin and trailing toward a barbed spear of a tail, the closest thing that could be used to describe it was a scorpion. Aside from the tail that comprised the majority of its body, there rested a large faceplate, adorned by a yellow crown, protruding from a circular platform that also appeared to be the source of its tail.

The only common thing among all of them, appeared to be various injuries that were quickly healing, likely inflicted by whatever they were battling.

Yet, despite the myriad of alien feelings assaulting his magical senses, Negi could detect three more signatures, those of magically enhanced humans. Two of them were coming from far behind the monsters, their aura felt quite weak the mage noted, while a third, stronger but rapidly weakening presence was in the midst of battling the 3 monsters.

"Negi-kun." Fate's monotone voice stated, bringing the child out of his thoughts. "It would appear we have arrived in the middle of a battle. The remaining individual seems to be trying to push back those creatures. I don't believe she will last much longer." The white-haired boy continued, pointing ahead.

Though the distance was great, they were probably several kilometers away at least, Negi focused his magically enhanced eyesight on the moving figure of the person ahead, seeing with a clarity that telescopes would've struggled to match. They were cloaked in a red body suit, wielding an axe in each hand that was bigger than most of their body, with short gray-brown hair. Their height was also extremely short, probably between 145-150cm by Negi's guess. Coupled with a brief glance at their features, the person seemed to be a young girl, roughly around Negi's age in fact. Terrifyingly, however, was the condition they were in. With her uniform covered in gashes and dried blood, with more oozing from her injuries by the second, and holes in multiple places on her body, it was amazing she was still moving so well in combat.

"We have to help her." The 11-year-old mage firmly stated. "I think she's protecting… Whatever that tree over there is." Briefly glancing back toward the glowing energy, he continued. "I believe it's the source maintaining this bounded space. If we don't, she's going to die! Let's go!"

Wasting not an instant more, Negi channeled his magic into Magia Erebea. The dark and powerful magic was a dangerous one indeed, it's very idea, merging spells designed for destruction and harm upon your foes with your very existence, something many mages would view as insanity, but the merger of magic into one's existence could grant many incredible powers. However, Negi's preferred method was taking the strongest and most destructive lightning spell known to man and absorbing it not once, but twice, into a form he called Raiten Taisou 2. The effects of such a fusion had an immediate impact on his form, cloaking his entire being in a pink tint, creating an intense aura of crackling lightning around him, and extending his hair to the length of nearly his entire body, making it resemble a lightning bolt in motion. But the changes to his body were not merely cosmetic, his very being transmuted itself into the element of lightning, power surging through his body boosted his strength and speed staggeringly, peaking his reactions to those comparable of parts of a natural lightning strike. In not even a fraction of a second, Negi's had become an embodiment of lightning.

Rocking off at literally lightning speed and assuming Fate would catch up soon, Negi crossed the distance in barely a fraction of a fraction of a second. Upon arriving, he could see hundreds of glowing spears heading straight for the girl, moving in hyper slow motion from his perspective, who was too busy striking the shrimp monster to notice them. Dashing between her and the projectiles, the living lightning bolt raised a hand, creating a shield that deflected all the projectiles.

With nothing stopping her, the girl in red sliced right through her target with a loud shout, cleanly cleaving much of the beast in two with one direct and powerful slash before landing onto a nearby root. Turning around to her next target, she briefly stopped dead in confusion at the sight before her. There was someone else on the battlefield, someone she didn't recognize and who had seemed to of just appeared out of nowhere, who was blocking one of her enemy's attacks and __helping__ her, while __flying__ no less. It was only natural she be confused. However, any hesitation on the battlefield could prove dangerous. The brief surprise overcoming her, left the axe wielder too distracted to notice the scorpion like creature swinging its tail right at her.

"Watch out!" Negi, sensing the danger, called out to her. Once again using his immense speed, the mage shot forward, grabbing hold of the girl, then rocketing away from the battle and onto a root several hundred meters away.

"I-Huh? What are you-" The red clad girl stammered out, the complete and utter bewilderment very clear in her voice as she lay in Negi's arms. From her perspective, she was about to be struck one instant, then was hundreds of meters away the next.

"I know you have a lot of question, but please relax. We can talk after this battle. Just wait here and try not to move, you've lost a lot of blood. Don't worry, we can handle it from here." Negi said calmly and reassuringly, trying to put the girl at ease.

Unfortunately, this didn't seem to help things much, as her response was to try and struggle out of Negi's grip. "No! I can still fight! The Shinj-"

A tremendous explosion interrupted her flailing. Looking in the direction of the battle, a massive smoke cloud could be seen where the scorpion creature used to be, further increasing her surprise and ceasing the girl's struggling for the moment.

"See, Fate has it under control." Negi said without skipping a beat, smiling and speaking warmly.

An instant later, a colossal stone pillar, even larger than the final creature itself, materialized out of thin air, pointing toward at the beast at a downward angle toward the colorful roots.

However, once again, the duo's attempts at "help" seemed to have the opposite effect Negi had expected. The sight of the stone tower elected a brief gasp from the one he was carrying, followed by panicked words. "Don't throw that! If that hits the roots, it'll damage the real world!"

Though curious, Negi knew better than to ask questions right now. He knew nothing about the strange location they had found themselves in, and coupled with the sheer panic in her voice, she believed every word she said. "I'll handle it." Negi replied with an affirming nod while setting his passenger down. "Please, just trust me and wait here." Giving a few parting words, Negi transformed into lightning one more, speeding off before the other had a chance to reply.

* * *

The massive structure of stone conjured by Fate plowed straight through his target, the last remaining creature, with ease. These monsters, though possessing a scale and visage that would have scared the common man, were of no significance to Fate, who had starred down gods before. The yellow one had been vaporized with one swift strike, the remains of the red creature had been carved into nothingness with a storm of blades, while the final blue skull like beast had been shattered by his tower of earth as effortlessly as a bullet pierced skin. Likely due to the previous battle with the girl Negi rescued having worn them down and allowing him to catch them entirely by surprise, but the battle had been a brief and uneventful one.

Unexpectedly, however, Fate briefly saw Negi dashing from the safety he had carried the other fighter, straight into the path of his stone pillar, vaporizing it with a punch.

"Negi-kun?" Fate, floating toward Negi, called out, mildly curious of their actions.

"That girl I rescued said that, if damage is inflicted to these roots-" Negi began, gesturing to the ground around them. "-it would inflict damage to the real world. I didn't want your attack to cause any accidental damage."

Wordlessly giving the similarly aged mage a subtle nod, Fate understood. Negi was always one concerned for the safety of others and trying to save everyone whenever possible. "And the girl's condition?" Though not holding these ideals to the same extent, Fate did have to admit, in the time he had spent with Negi, those beliefs, like concern for strangers he had never met, had rubbed off on him somewhat.

Negi's face darkened slightly. "She doesn't look good. Having gotten a closer look at her injuries, she needs immediate treatment. Otherwise, I don't think she is going to survive much longer. We should get back to her immediately." Negi paused briefly, detecting something on his magical perceptions and sighing. "I can sense she's already started moving again."

"Then let's go before that foolish child gets herself killed." Fate neutrally replied, already flying toward the direction of the red girl's energy, followed by Negi as they exited their lightning form, body, clothes, and hair returning to normal.

* * *

Being able to fly, along with the fact adrenalin would be wearing off now and slowing the other's movements, Negi and Fate found the girl in a matter of moments. Though still walking, her movements were sluggish compared to how they had been in combat. One of her axes being used as a support for walking.

"Hey!" Calling out, Negi shouted with concern, landing a few meters in front of the girl with Fate, approaching the other at a brisk pace. "Please hold still, you shouldn't be moving!"

Her face distorted in obvious pain, the girl in red continued walking. "I'm fine. I have-" She paused, grimacing briefly. "I have to go make sure Sonoko and Sumi are ok!"

Sonoko and Sumi. Those must have been the names of the two other energy signatures Negi and Fate sensed upon arriving. The picture of what happened was becoming quite clear to the duo. The three must have been locked in combat with the creatures from earlier, but when her two friends were badly injured, she moved them to a safe location in order to fight the monsters on her own. Negi could understand her concern. He probably would've been the same way in her position.

"Wait." Putting a hand on her shoulder, Negi brought the girl to a halt. "We'll take you there, it'll be faster since we can fly and sense where they are. Your friends are injured too, correct? Fate and I- "Negi briefly gestured to himself and his white-haired partner, "-can use some healing magic to mend everyone's wounds."

"…. Alright." The grey-haired girl replied after only needing a moment to consider the idea. She had to admit, she was beginning to feel exhausted, now that combat was over and her injuries were starting to catch up to her. They were a lot harder to ignore, now that she wasn't focused on avoiding further ones to stay alive. No matter how fantastical it sounded, the quicker she could get back to her friends the better.

"Excellent. Since we'll be flying, is it alright if I carry you?" Negi, ever polite, requested with a friendly smile.

The girl nodded her head, dematerializing her weapon in a slight shimmer of petals.

Placing one hand around her knees and another on her back, Negi picked up the girl in a princess carry, electing a small yelp from her and making her heart skip a beat.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! Did I touch one of your injuries?" Concern flashing on his face and voice, Negi questioned, slightly adjusting his grip just in case.

"N-no, I'm fine." Her face tinged ever so slightly with pink beneath the crimson, Negi's passenger stuttered back, lowing her face to try and hide it. Perhaps it had been the blood loss muddying her thought process a bit, but when agreeing to the other's request, the idea of she, a __girl__ , being carried in a manner like this, by a __boy__ who seemed her age, hadn't occurred to her.

Still frowning in concern, Negi didn't seem entirely convinced. The fact she was still bleeding and it was currently staining parts of his clothes, didn't help matters. "If you're certain. Let me know if any of your injuries start acting up, alright? I can't do any major healing while we're moving, but I can still use a little bit of magic to help with the pain and some minor healing." Gradually floating into the air alongside Fate, Negi said somewhat apologetically, applying some healing magic. It was better than nothing, but still, Negi felt bad he couldn't do more for them right now. Healing magic was one of the few areas in magic he could still be considered relatively weak in.

Immediately, the axe user could feel a wave of relief wash over her, the pain of her wounds ebbing away to almost nothing. Before, the injuries had been excruciating, more painful than anything she had ever experienced in her entire life. Just having them felt like parts of her body were on fire, with trying to move with them magnifying the pain dramatically to heights she didn't know could exist. However, now, with the magic of her rescuer working its power, she let out a breath she didn't know was being held in. The fighter almost felt like she could relax like this.

"We never got a chance to introduce ourselves yet, sorry." Negi's soft voice snapped her back to reality. "I'm Negi Springfield, and this is- "The child cut off expectantly for Fate. The other wasn't much for being sociable, so prompting him into his introduction seemed like a good idea.

"Fate Averruncus." Fate replied. Where's Negi's voice was comforting and friendly, filled with concern, Fate's wasn't anything like it. Though not hostile or uncaring, their voice remained largely level and neutral, something that could easily make them come off abrasive to some.

"-and you are….?" Negi finished, trailing off for the person he was carrying to introduce themselves.

"Minowa Gin. Thanks for the help back there." Gin answered, grinning. The situation was beginning to sink in for Gin, now. The danger had passed, she was __alive__ , she was safely on her way to see her friends now, the pain from minutes ago was almost non-existent, and the new arrivals could apparently even heal everyone's injuries! The dire situation Gin had earlier been in had completely turned itself around and ended far better than she could've hoped for. She couldn't help but finally start to ease up.

"Pleased to meet you, Minowa-san. I'm glad we were able to make it in time." Negi replied cheerfully. "Now, ab-"

"Negi-kun." Fate's voice sounded, interrupting Negi from talking any further. "I see them."

Following Fate's voice, the mage saw two figures in the distance. The first was cloaked in a purple outfit, patterned similarly go Gin's own, with pale yellow hair that flowed down to her waist, the parts around her cheeks done up into loops, and wielding a spear, which she used for addition support in walking.

The other person was dressed in a pale lavender colored outfit, also of similar design as Gin and the others, with the main differences being their clothes possessed oversized sleeves that vaguely resembled a shrine maiden's outfit and coat lacked any parts around the sides, extending down to her ankles. Her hair, contrasting the other's vibrant color and long length, was a short black and in the style of an updo at the back.

Limping, it was clear both had sustained some heavy injuries, a few large cuts and dried blood covering parts of their bodies, but fortunately, it appeared neither had the immediate life threateningly severe ones Gin had.

"Hey girls!" Gin, waving, called out while Negi carried her back to the ground.

The duo looked up, a variety of changing emotions crossing their face, first surprise, then confusion, before finally settling on relief once they spotted Gin.

"Gin!"

"Mino-san!"

Shouting happily, the two quickened their pace to the now grounded Fate and Negi, still carrying Gin.

Hopping out of Negi's arms, Gin began speaking. "Told you I could handle iiiiiiiiiiittttttt!" Gin's casual tone suddenly shifted into a shout as, upon getting away from Negi, and thus his healing magic, and her feet impacting the floor, the pain of her earlier injuries suddenly flared to life once more. The influx of new feelings briefly overcoming her and taking the girl's balance, only to be caught by Negi once again, before she could hit the ground.

"Careful, Minowa-san. I know you feel fine now, but I've only done some light healing and dull the __pain__. Your injuries are still extensive and need some proper care. Stay close to me please, it'll be easier to continue using my magic." Negi explained, carefully helping Gin stand back upright before removing his hands, a soft green grow emanating from them due to the continued use of healing magic.

Though an easy thing to forget, pain existed as a reminder to people of when to not try and stress an injury any more than it already was. Remove that, and someone wouldn't be able to tell when to stop till their body was physically incapable of it.

"Ehehe, sorry. Guess I got a little carried away." Gin replied back, letting out a sheepish laugh as the influx of pain faded away with the application of Negi's healing.

"Gin, who's this?" The lavender dressed girl questioned, her face and voice changing into one of confusion, with some mild curiosity seeping into it. However, a moment later, her expression shifted to one of terror and concern, a slight gasp escaping her mouth, having managed to see Gin's injuries in closer detail. "Gin! What happened?!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Not as bad as it looks." Gin said dismissively with a wave of her hand. The truth of the matter was she knew that, physically speaking, she was probably __not__ fine, as just getting down from Negi's arms had nearly made her fall back over, but the axe user didn't want to worry her friends. A deception helped by the fact she __felt__ perfectly fine and Negi had said he could heal her injuries shortly. "These guys helped me out. You should see what happened to the Vertex."

Taking that as a cue for introduction, Negi took over speaking. "Negi Springfield. Pleased to meet you both"

"Fate Averruncus."

Repeating the words given to Gin, the two magic users introduced themselves once again, Negi adding a slight bow to his, now that he was on solid ground and capable of properly introducing himself.

"Nogi Sonoko!" The blonde, Sonoko, cheerfully replied with a smile. Her body may have been injured, relying on her staff to stay standing, but the girls voice and face were radiating life and warmth from them. Sonoko's demeanor and air felt like that of a carefree individual.

"Washio Sumi, likewise." Returning the introduction and gesture, though a bit slower on account of her wounds, Sumi replied. Her voice was formal and composed, just like her somewhat strained movements, yet still kind. Compared to Sonoko, the air given off the girl felt like that of one from a high-class family, professional and business like.

"Now, I'm sure you have a lot of question. Fate and I do as well, but let's attend to the more pressing concern of everyone's injuries. We're capable of some healing magic-" Negi began, speaking as diplomatically as he could.

"Oooh~" Sonoko hummed, evidently intrigued by the mention of healing magic.

Sumi, on the other hand, seemed somewhat skeptical.

"-but it would help if you were lying down to keep still-"

Needing no further excuse to lie back down, Sonoko collapsed onto her back with a thud and pained cry, not giving Negi the chance to finish. "Ow… That hurt more than I thought it would."

"Sonocchi!?" Came Sumi's concerned voice, pacing over to her downed friend, shot out.

"I'm ok, Wasshi~. Negi-san said to lie down and it feels better than standing." Sonoko's relaxed voice, body still as a rock, gently responded.

Negi couldn't help cracking a small smile, now that it became clear the girl didn't collapse from her injuries. Though her body had suffered quite a bit of damage, at least she remained in high spirits. Perhaps it just looked worse than it truly was.

A quaking of the ground suddenly drew everyone's attention, causing Negi and Fate to glance around in confusion, moreso Negi, while the trio of Gin, Sonoko, and Sumi seemed more surprised than perplexed.

"Forestization is over already?" Gin, raising an eyebrow, questioned. She hadn't even seen any signs of the Flower Calming Ceremony, what usually happened anytime Vertex were beaten, come to think of it.

"Forestization?" Negi parroted, confusion, but also curiosity in his voice.

"You guys'll see in a second." Gin answered casually.

Negi could sense a surge of magic emanating from everything around him, shifting and changing in accordance to the will of whatever was using the energy. The pulse might have concerned him, but the demeanor and reactions of the girls toward it kept his worries in check. Wherever or __whenever__ this was, they were clearly experienced and knowledgeable about what was going on. Gin had tossed out a few terms completely alien to his knowledge, like Vertex, the name for those monsters they battled earlier it appeared, and Shinju, which had to be the great tree he sensed and what Gin had been protecting when he arrived with Fate. If they weren't concerned over it, neither would he.

 _ _{Fate.}__ Speaking telepathically, Negi wordlessly communicated to the other. The act of telepathy, to mages, was more than just speaking with their minds and a way to talk without being overheard, but altering the very foundation and idea of what it meant to "communicate". Instead of conventional language used by everyone else, telepathy enabled a mage to truly 'feel' the intent behind the words 'said' by the other. 'Words' bound by an entirely new concept of 'speaking' and unhindered by the problems of conventional dialog.

 _ _{You sense it too, correct Negi-kun?}__ Fate answered calmly.

 _ _{I do, and I think we should lower our magical defenses for it. These three don't seem too concerned by this event, so I believe it's safe. I'm not sure exactly what this is, but on the chance that the protection provided by our barriers and the like interferes with it, I would rather be safe than sorry.}__ Subtly nodding as confirmation, Negi explained, dropping his invisible and passive defenses.

 _ _{Very well.}__ Fate said, mimicking the action.

Moments later, a great and brilliant light washed over the group.

* * *

 ** **Author's Notes:****

And that's chapter one! Hope you liked it. Now, a question to any readers. I've written a bit ahead in the story in order to try and maintain a consistentish update schedule, since my life is kind of packed right now and to give me more time to write between updates. Chapter 2 would likely come in around a week and a half to two weeks, but, because the story is still early on, I might be willing to post the second chapter a little bit early if enough people want it. Just keep in mind, that might mean a slightly longer time between chapters down the road.


	2. Chapter 2

When the light faded, the entire landscape had shifted. Gone were the titanic roots, stretching as far as the eye could see. No more was the giant tree, towering over everything before it, instead replaced by a swath of significantly more normal ones dotting the landscape. The world had changed its appearance to that of a rather unassuming and typical suburban landscape, with the group's current location being on a nearby hill overlooking the town. For all intents and purposes, the land looked normal and if a battle had never happened.

However, looks could be, and often were, quite deceiving. While the world may have __looked__ normal, Negi and Fate's magical senses were detecting another story. Despite being visibly gone, the energy of the colossal tree still permeated the area thickly, covering it, almost as if it were protecting the landscape like a great wall. And then there was the horizon in the distance, resting past an immense bridge. Being as far as they were, it was difficult to tell exact details, but it felt… off. The already existing list of questions was constantly expanding by the second.

The sensations would have been ones Negi thought to pursue, but more immediate matters pushed such questions to the back of his mind. Sumi, Sonoko, and Gin - especially Gin - needed their wounds attended to. The group's outfits had changed from the battle oriented ones of before, into that of a school uniform. The outfit was largely a dark brown at the torso, a thin muted blue ribbon resting at the top of the chest, and skirt, a deeper brown, which had a pale line running across the bottom hem. Contrasting the darker colors, the sleeves of the outfit were a dull white, with the cuffs matching the shade of the torso. Resting at top was a similarly colored collar that nearly extended to the shoulders, possessing brown highlights.

"I have a lot to ask, but let's get to work patching up your injuries first. Have a seat next to Nogi-san, it'll be easier if you're grouped together." Negi instructed, gesturing for Gin and Sumi to lie down, as he had earlier instructed.

Following his instructions, the two took a position next to Sonoko, waiting.

Moving to flank the three girls on each side, Negi and Fate stretched out their hands above the trio, a soft green glow appearing within their palms, while blanketing the three in a similarly colored aura of healing magic.

It didn't take long for each of the girls to feel an immediate effect from the restorative magic. The blood that was oozing from the cuts and gashes sustained during the battle paused, before the wounds knit themselves back together. With the visibility of their injuries vanishing, so too did the pain pulsating from them, instead replaced with a foreign tingling sensation caused by the healing magic working its effects. Slowly but surely, the severe injuries from the previous fight were starting to become nothing more than a bad memory.

"This will probably take a few minutes to finish." Breaking the silence, Negi began. "I'd like to get back to questions in the meantime, if you don't mind."

"Not like we're gonna be going anywhere." Gin replied

"To start with, what were you doing there? You were trying to defend that tree. I believe Minowa-san called it the Shinju, correct? What is it?" Negi asked. It was a simple question, the first of many in his mind. Though more pressing questions were in his mind, the child figured why not start off with a few basics. The Shinju seemed to be important, so in learning about it, perhaps he could obtain the answers to a few other inquiries while at it.

However, the 'simple' question proved itself to be anything but, as judging by the looks given to him by the girls he was healing, Negi may have well sprouted an extra head suddenly. This had been a bad idea.

Near silence, only interrupted by the low hum of the mages healing magic, fell over the area

"You… Don't know about the Shinju-sama?" Sumi, her voice barely containing the complete and utter disbelief within it, asked.

A sinking feeling was growing within Negi's being at these reactions. The Shinju was clearly important, yes, he could gather that much from the apparent fact it seemed to be the one responsible for the change in landscape and the trio were protecting it. However, this kind of reaction indicated it likely held extreme __social__ importance, especially with the 'sama' honorific. With the reactions from the girls, he may as well have asked what air was. Negi was quite knowledgeable in the magical world and the various beings of extreme power that inhabited it, but he had never heard of this. The area __seemed__ like a normal city and the girls were speaking Japanese, so where could he be? Only one way to find out, being honest.

"Sorry, I can't say I have."

"But-" Sumi began, attempting to quickly push herself upright with her hands, but paused mid-sentence with a grimace of pain. The healing magic being performed by Negi and Fate was improving things, sure, but it still hurt somewhat when moving so suddenly.

"Easy, Washio-san." Negi said, trying to gently ease Sumi back onto the ground with his hands. "We're not __quite__ finished, so don't make any sudden movements that might disrupt things or aggravate your injuries."

Though clearly a touch reluctant, her facial expressions didn't do a good job at hiding her distrust and confusion, Sumi relented after a moment, lying back down.

"Now." Negi quickly interjected, just as Gin opened her mouth for a question. "I know that response has left you quite confused. However, I have one more question, one which might be able to answer much of the mysteries on both our ends."

Closing her mouth, Gin waited with baited breath, with Sumi and Sonoko likewise extremely curious as to what kind of question the other child would ask that could possibly explain his lack of knowledge on the god known as the Shinju.

"I know this is going to sound a bit odd, not any more than my last question perhaps, but…" Negi paused for a moment, the idea formulating in his head if the others answered as he expected giving him brief hesitation. "… Could you tell me where exactly we are and what year it is?"

"…. Kagawa Prefecture, Sakaide, Shikoku, Japan. Divine Era, Year 298." Sumi, after a moment of starring at Negi, perplexed, answered as if it were the most obvious question in the world, disbelief dripping from her voice.

Negi and Fate exchanged a glance. "I believe that explains quite a bit." The first mage stated with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Gin asked, a thoroughly perplexed expression on her face.

"Well, we're from Japan, but our calendar is at 2004-"

"The Christian Era?!" Sumi, shooting to her feet, interrupted, eyes wide and voice dripping with utter shock. Taking a very brief moment to recover from the initial surprise, the girl continued, her voice turning accusatory and face narrowing in suspicion. "But, that's not possible." People didn't just __time travel.__ This whole thing was ridiculous, with each new bit of information coming from the two just raising Sumi's suspicion of them, but this was one step too far. Something wasn't right about the pair.

"Washio-san-" Negi began, attempting to take control of the conversation again

But the other was having none of it. "You suddenly appear out of nowhere during Forestization, when the Taisha didn't tell us anything about aid coming, have no idea about Shinju-sama, wielding strange powers-"

"If-" Once more, the 11 year old mage tried to interject.

"-and now you're not only claiming to be from over 300 years in the past, but that you're from Japan and with a __western__ last name?" Sumi, who's growing suspicions had finally reach a breaking point after a continuous stream of absurd facts assaulted her sensibility, refused to allow Negi in a word edge wise.

"That's enough." Fate's monotone voice rang out, the white-haired boy making a quick and precise horizontal swipe with his finger.

"Wha-" The words Sumi wanted to continue firing at Negi never came, her mouth closing itself of its own accord in the middle of her sentence. Caught by surprise at the sudden turn of events, Sumi's confusion briefly overriding her frustration at Negi, giving her pause.

Quickly taking advantage of the break in dialog, Fate continued, lowing his hand. "If you will cease you disruptive ranting for a moment, Negi-kun will answer your questions. As he was __attempting__ to do before you interrupted him." The Averruncus let a subtle edge of annoyance into his voice. He too, was curious to whatever theories Negi crafted and ways to explain their present predicament, as the other child quite often could make accurate guesses from even the smallest details.

The target of Fate's insults turned her attention toward him, expression softening slightly, yet suspicion still clear within it. Trying to fire back a reply, confusion quickly overtook her face when Sumi found herself unable to say anything, save a few muffled noises. Her mouth refused to open.

"Wasshi?" Sonoko, propping herself up, continued healing magic having made any further painful wounds disappear, asked. Her usual, carefree tone replaced instead with concern for her friend.

Again, Sumi attempted to answer, this time trying to physically pry her mouth her open with her hands, but once more, nothing but muffled sounds of frustration were heard. Fear was slowly creeping its way onto her features.

"Hey, what'd you do to Sumi?!" Gin, rising at a slightly slower pace, her more extensive injuries not __fully__ mended yet, aggressively shot at Fate, reaching for her phone. She might have trusted Negi enough, the other kid had directly saved her life, along with having such a kind demeanor that made him hard to dislike. But, his companion? While they had helped with the Vertex, their demeanor was nothing like Negi's; distant, cold, unfriendly. And now, they had put some kind of spell on Sumi that prevented her from talking.

The situation had been going __reasonably__ well, at least Negi would've liked to believe, until Sumi's little outburst. However, Fate had gone and made it worse by silencing the girl with magic. Negi knew the mage was a good person at heart, but their people skills tended to be more than a bit lacking in some circumstances. He had to take back control of this, and quick, before the already rapidly deteriorating conversation got even worse. Mirroring the motion Fate had earlier done, Negi removed the spell place on Sumi by his friend, electing a gasp from the girl at her formerly robbed motor functions returning.

"Stop! Everyone, please calm down!" Negi quickly said, raising his voice to sound more authoritative and command a greater presence, before anyone else could get a further word in. "I apologize for what Fate did, but he is right. I was getting to an explanation earlier. So, if you'll kindly give me just a minute to explain, I promise I'll answer any remaining questions afterwards. Alright?" Lowering back to his customary polite tone, the child finished toward Sumi.

Sumi answered Negi with a cautious stare. His friend having just completely removed her ability to speak without any difficulty didn't do any favors to gain her trust. Still, Negi was acting far friendlier and understanding than the other. He was offering answers to the questions that had been the cause for her outburst, which had been what she wanted in the first place. After considering it for a moment, Sumi's features moderately relaxed before replying, bowing slightly as she spoke. "I apologize for interrupting you. Please continue, Negi-san." Gazing expectedly at Negi, alongside Sonoko and Gin, Sumi waited.

"Thank you." Negi said with a smile. Simultaneously, he shot another telepathic message to Fate. __[Fate, keep up healing Minowa-san while I explain. She doesn't seem fully healed yet.]__

Receiving a mental affirmation from his companion, Negi focused back toward his current theories. "Now then. I understand this will be hard to accept, but just bear with me for a bit. As I said earlier, I have good reason to believe that Fate and I have somehow traveled from the past to here." The truth of the matter was far more complicated. Negi __knew__ the odds of this being __his__ future were unlikely. It just didn't line up with what he'd learned of the future from Chao, but he wasn't going to rule out the possibility entirely, given the radically different events in the timelines. Still trying to explain that in the same breath, when Sumi already had a negative reaction to his earlier information, didn't seem like a good idea. Best give them at least a few moments to process this first. "I know that seems impossible, but believe me, this isn't my first experience with time travel. How else would you explain the powers we wield, our sudden appearance, us being from far in the past, and my complete lack of knowledge about the Shinju-sama?"

Each of the girl's remained in silence, processing the logic behind Negi's words. As ridiculous as the idea sounded, it did explain many of the questions bouncing around within their heads. The pair __very__ __obviously__ weren't Heroes, like they were. Yet, it was still too farfetched to just accept so easily without further questions.

"But if you're from the Christian Era, then how has no one heard about these abilities you have?" Sumi asked with a furrowed brow. It didn't make sense for why something as useful as this would've been kept secret.

This was exactly the question he'd been hoping to get. "I'm glad you asked." Negi began, slipping into his teacher voice, practiced so well from the time spent with his students. "Given what I know about my world and have seen thus far, I think the most likely possibility is that we are from the past, just not __this__ world's past."

"…. Huh?" Gin, face blank, deadpanned. Time travel had been one thing, but the idea of time travel __and__ alternate universes, in addition to everything else, was too much for the girl to process at once.

"Like another reality? That explains it~" Sonoko spoke up, looking interested at the idea and the only one of the group who seemed to be taking the facts in stride.

"Correct." Negi cheerily said with an approving smile toward the blonde.

"But, that's-" Sumi began, exasperated and just managing to keep herself in check from causing another outburst like earlier. As outlandish as it sounded, it __did__ make some sense and neatly explained it. If not for the fact they had evidently helped Gin when she went to fight 3 Vertex on her own, along with having demonstrated those unusual powers, she would've immediately dismissed it as crazy. Still it all just seemed __too__ convenient and there were some key pieces of the puzzle which were missing. "Even if that's true, __how,__ why did you appear here?" Sumi managed to get out after finding her voice again.

"I think I have an explanation for that too. I see two possibilities." Negi, not skipping a beat, answered. "The first, and far more simple answer, is something went wrong on our end and we arrived at the right place and time to help with a dire situation. The second explanation is a bit more complicated and involves the Shinju-sama. From my perspective, the battle was in rather dire circumstances when we arrived. Two of you-" He gestured to Sumi and Sonoko. "-were too injured to fight. That left Minowa-san, all on her own, to deal with three enemies simultaneously. The Shinju-sama, perhaps worried about the outcome of the fight in those circumstances, decided to bring in help. Why or how it specifically chose Fate and I, I'm unable to say for certain. We were using some high scale magic to travel somewhere, so perhaps it saw an easy opportunity at the time and somehow changed our destination?"

"Then, what now? You guys helped me out, thanks for that, so are you just gonna go home?" Gin asked.

"Ah, about that." Negi started with a frown. "Right now, we can't. And it doesn't appear whatever brought us here is sending us back yet, so we might be stuck here for the time being."

Silence fell over the group, everyone pondering what to do next.

"Maybe the Taisha can help?" Sonoko suggested, breaking the pause that had taken hold.

"Hey, yeah! They know more about the Shinju-sama than anyone. If you guys are gonna be staying here, they'll want to hear about this." Gin agreed.

"I'll let em know~" Sonoko said, pulling out her phone and texting a message. There was a good chance the Taisha might've already been coming to pick them up, but checking to make sure didn't hurt. She could let the group know about this while they were at it anyway. Sonoko normally might've called, but the discussion still seemed to be going and she didn't want to miss any of it.

"We appreciate any assistance you can give us, thank you." Negi warmly said. Now, things started to be getting somewhere. Perhaps the Taisha would be able to provide some assistance or additional information to validate his theories. Given the way the others spoke of them, the group likely had at least some measure of power in this land. In the meantime, the child had two things he needed to take care of. "But, one more thing. Minowa-san."

"Hm?"

"We should probably get your outfit cleaned up. I don't think that's going to wash out so easily." The young mage gestured to the dried blood that covered several areas of Gin's school uniform. The other two Hero's injuries, while still severe, weren't quite to the same degree or freshness as Gin's and most of the blood had already dried. Some of Gin's wounds had still been bleeding before the healing magic was applied, which meant the blood loss carried over to her detransformed state.

Gin looked down at her school uniform, eyes immediately growing wide and panic infecting her voice. "Ah! My clothes!" There was no way this could get cleaned in time for school. Between everything that had happened, with one bombshell after the other being dropped, the state of her uniform had been pushed to the back of Gin's mind, especially with her injuries being healed as quickly as they were by Negi and Fate.

"Please, hold still for just a moment. I'll take care of it." Hand glowing faintly with magic, Negi held the limb in front of Gin. In the span of a few moments, the dark spots staining her shirt evaporated. Afterwards, the child moved onto the spots of her blood that had stained his outfit while carrying her, those too vanishing in short order. "There we go."

Gin blinked, impressed. Her outfit had, just moments ago, been stained to the point of looking almost unsalvageable, yet in front of her very eyes, her uniform had been repaired to a perfectly fine condition. "You gotta show me how to do that sometime."

"If we end up staying here for any major amount of time, perhaps I can teach you a bit of magic. There's a lot you can do with it."

Sonoko looked up from her texting at Negi mentioning the idea of learning magic. "Ooooooh, that sounds fun~!" Her eyes, along with Gin's, and voice were glowing with excitement and curiosity at the prospect.

Sumi eyed the idea with some skepticism, though she seemed at least mildly interested.

"Later, for now-"

"Negi-kun." Fate, speaking for the first time in a while, interjected. "We need to talk." The white-haired boy started walking away from the group, motioning for Negi to follow him.

It seemed Fate had already anticipated the second matter Negi felt needed to be attended to. He still had to discuss plans with the other on where to go from here. There was telepathy, but standing there silently and occasionally making an expression in reaction to a mute conversation would likely look weird and raise more questions, and there had been enough of that for one night.

"Be right there, Fate." Negi briefly turned back to the three girls. "Excuse us for a minute."

Finally stopping once sure they were out of earshot and using magic to further muffle the conversation as an extra precaution, Fate started talking once more, sounding a touch annoyed. "We cannot stay here."

"I'm aware of that, Fate." Negi calmly replied.

"Then you must know why you shouldn't be wasting time trying to befriend the locals. I understand being concerned, but we need to devote all the time we have toward finding a method to return home. I should not have to remind you of the significance of the Blue Mars Project and how your lack of presence will impede it." Fate shot back, his voice sounding somehow even more serious than his usual tone.

Negi sighed. Fate did have him when it came to that. The Blue Mars Project was the name of the work Negi had taken upon himself to do in order to prevent the total collapse and destruction of the Magical World within his homeland. If it failed, it was an absolute certainty than the alternate world inscribed upon Mars would cease to exist. He was the brains behind the majority of the operation, from gaining the funding as the face of the project and being a part of designing the technology associated with implementing it, as well as managing the entire thing. However, Negi knew better than to put his eggs all in one basket. "I am aware of how profoundly important the project is and how precarious the situation surrounding it is. That's why I've left many notes regarding the project direction and how to proceed, in the event anything happened to me. It will hurt the project, you and I not being present, but I believe the project will be able to continue, albeit slower."

Fate tilted his head, starring at Negi with a neutral face and dull eyes, unimpressed by the other's reasoning. "While this is true, what I said remains a fact. The sooner we return, the less risk will be posed to the project and fewer setbacks we will suffer. The project is still in its infancy and even a minor setback can easily spiral into a crippling one. Assuming your theories are correct, we would need to develop trans-universal or time travel, perhaps both. Perfecting it could take a large investment of time."

"Once more, I am aware. But, my descendent invented both of those things, and I figured how to master her time machine almost immediately during the Mahora Festival. If she managed to come up with something, I'm sure I can." Negi fired back with confidence. Time travel seem to be unable to leave him and his family alone. First, it had been his descendent, Chao Lingshen, traveling back to the past in order to prevent a tragedy in the future, the same one Negi was now attempting to stop with the Blue Mars Project. Then it had been one of his students traveling back to the past, once again in part due to Chao, for a normal life after waking up 115 years in the future, and now it was this.

"And how long do your suspect that will take?" Fate returned with an accusatory tone.

Negi's smile faltered ever so slightly. "I'm not sure, unfortunately." His voice was doubtful, worried. Chao had taken a while to create hers, so Fate had a point in respect to the issue of time. But, that wasn't going to make him concede the argument. Strength and hope returning to his tone, Negi continued. "However, that is precisely why I don't believe befriending the people here is a bad thing. If we do end up having to stay here for any amount of time, I would personally rather have friends to rely on and make our stay here more pleasant, than try to solve things just with you and I. Besides, perhaps the people here do have something we can make use of to speed things along. If they do have anything, they're more likely to help if we're friendly. I'm not trying to diminish the importance of the Blue Mars Project, it's every bit as important to me as it is to you. However, we may as well make the best of a bad situation. There's also two of us and you know how I'm used to multitasking. I can easily balance relations with the people here and investigating how to get home, especially if I can rely on you to continue theory crafting and testing while I'm busy with everyone else."

Silence briefly fell between the two, Fate considering Negi's words. The Averruncus was quite familiar with how the other had a virtually inhuman talent when it came to balancing multiple objectives and helping others without breaking himself. They had somehow managed to find time to secretly run tests on how to save the Magical World, in-between some of the most rigorous training one could undertake, and maintaining the relationships with his students on top of that. Fate himself was also no slouch when it came to magical talent. Though Negi still exceeded him in regard to creating new magic and ingenuity with existing ones, in terms of magical power, Fate was just a few hairs shy of being his equal. Then there was also the fact he had some knowledge in the mystical arts almost none other did, due to the circumstances of his creation and origin of powers. Together, maybe there was a chance of pulling this off. "Very well, Negi-kun." Fate finally broke the silence, speaking sternly. "However, do not forget what your true priority should be."

"I promise that I won't." Negi said with a satisfied smile. "Come on, let's go check on the others."

* * *

Sumi watched the two walk away from the group, tense. What had started as a typical Vertex attack, had quickly spiraled into a mess apparently involving nearly dying, time travel, and alternate dimensions and timelines. No matter how many times she repeated Negi's reasoning in her head, as much as it did explain things, part of her couldn't come to terms with it. But now, she finally had a few moments of peace to talk with just Sonoko and Gin about this whole ordeal and collect her thoughts, safe from worrying about __another__ twist to current events. "Sonocchi, Gin, what do you two think about this? Do youbelieve they're really from another world or that the Shinju-sama is involved?"

Both girls look up in thought for a moment. None of them doubted the powers of the Shinju in the slightest, it was capable of feats far beyond the realm of mortals and had been a guardian of humanity from the virus that had wiped out nearly the entire world 300 years ago. However, the idea of the deity's power being used for something like this wasn't a possibility that had ever been remotely considered. The fact was more than just a little to take in.

"I trust Negi-san. He seems like a nice guy." Gin admitted casually. "It sounds pretty crazy, but they really helped me out with the Vertex back there and I dunno how else they can do all this cool magic. Not sure about his friend…."

"What Mino-san said. Time travel, other worlds, and magic, it's just like a novel~" Sonoko agreed with her usual, carefree tone. Of everyone, the blonde girl was taking the recent revelation the best. Her eyes even had a glint to them at the mention of the outlandish concepts Negi had spoken of. She must've already been formulating idea for her next book.

Sumi shuttered slightly at Gin's mention of Fate. She could understand the other's reasoning for Negi, they were a polite, respectful child, despite the __suspicious__ western last name. They had even been patient with her frustrations over how bizarre everything sounded and answered all her questions. The other, Fate Averruncus, they were a different story. He had completely removed her ability to speak without a care. The loss of one of her body's functions, especially one so important as speaking, had been terrifying to the girl. It wasn't something she ever wanted to repeat if it could be helped.

"Hey, speaking of magic, you girls really think they'll teach us how to use some?" Gin's face and voice bristled with excitement at the idea, body leaned forward slightly.

Before anyone could offer further conversations, Sonoko's phone let out a sound, indicating a message received.

Pulling out her phone again, Sonoko made a few motions with her fingers to access the message, a reply from the Taisha.

"The Taisha said they're on their way, and don't let Negi-san or Fate-san go anywhere. And they wanna talk with us tomorrow after we get some rest. They seemed a liiiiittle surprised to hear about them~." Sonoko said, childishly drawing out one of her words.

"I suppose that means the Taisha weren't involved." Sumi said with a sigh. This just added further mystery to the current problems. Part of her had been hoping they might have been able to confirm or deny Negi's theory. The Taisha were the servants of the Shinju, essentially the religious branch of it in the mortal world, and from where the Heroes received most of their information and direction in regards to their current task of national defense. If the Shinju was involved, they __should__ have known, but even they appeared at a loss for once. Though, was still one possibility that might've explained it.

"But, if Negi-san was right and the Shinju-sama is what pulled them here, wouldn't the Taisha have gotten an oracle or something?" Gin asked with a shrug.

Sumi shook her head. "If what he said is true, perhaps the Shinju-sama made this decision at the last minute? Maybe there hasn't been enough time for the Miko to receive an oracle yet?" The Miko were the ones who received visions from the Shinju and then interpreted them for the Taisha. If the Shinju was behind this, perhaps they would get some kind of message soon, but until then, they would be frustratingly left in the dark on if Negi's theory was correct or not.

"Maybe, guess we'll find out soon, huh?" Sonoko agreed. Hearing footsteps, she glanced in the direction Negi and Fate had gone. "Hey, looks like they're coming back~."

"I apologize for the interruption, I had some important personal matters to discuss with Fate." Negi spoke apologetically, walking back toward the group with Fate in tow. "How did things go with the Taisha?"

"Just fine! They'll be here pretty soon~." Sonoko replied.

"Tell me when they get here, I'm exhausted." Gin lazily said, before collapsing into the grass on her back. Her injuries may have been healed, but that didn't mean the fatigue of dealing with them and the fight were gone.

"Me too~" Sonoko quickly followed suit and relaxed on the cool grass.

Though Sumi didn't feel quite comfortable letting her guard down __completely__ , she wasn't going to deny sharing the feelings of her friends in respect to her low energy. Compromising, Sumi lowered herself into a sitting position on the grass. This way, she could rest a bit, while still keeping an eye on things.

"I suppose we'll keep watch then. How will they be coming?" Negi asked, electing to remain standing.

"Black car…." Sonoko's already half-asleep voice answered the other child.

For the next several minutes, things passed in relative silence, until it was broken by footsteps heading toward Sumi.

Looking toward them, the girl saw Negi approaching her.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" The mage asked politely, offering a friendly smile.

Considering it for a moment, Sumi nodded, turning her head away to keep looking for any sign of the Taisha appearing, but still keeping Negi at the edge of her vision.

"Thank you." Negi replied, taking a seat next to the girl. "Are you doing alright? Your friends have already fallen asleep, so are you certain you don't want to get some rest yourself? Fate and I can keep a lookout." He continued with a concerned tone.

Briefly glancing toward the prone forms of Gin and Sonoko, Sumi could see that, yes, both of them indeed had already drifted off to sleep. The girl sighed to herself at the sight. Sonoko, she could understand somewhat. The prodigy of the Nogi household had a habit of falling asleep in both record timing and in the worst places, even in the middle of class, when she __hadn't__ just gone through a horrific battle not even half an hour ago. Gin, on the other hand, was a bit more of a surprise. Though, thinking on it, she supposed it made sense. The girl had fought the hardest and sustained the worst injuries out of all of them. It was no wonder she was completely and utterly drained. Still, to just fall asleep so suddenly in this situation….

"I'll be fine. The Taisha will be here soon anyway." Sumi said dismissively.

Negi lightly frowned. "I understand why you're still skeptical of trusting us."

"You have to understand how unbelievable your story sounds, even if it explains everything." Sumi shot back. Negi's story seemed to explain the bizarre turn of events __too__ well to her. This kind of stuff didn't just happen.

"I do. And if I wasn't experienced with circumstances like this myself, then I might be a bit cautious in your shoes as well." The child said casually, trying to keep the tension low. "Especially given what Fate did. Once more, I'm deeply sorry about that. They're not exactly the best with casual conversation with others, but he's dependable where it's important."

Sumi turned toward Negi, eying him and his statements with some skepticism.

"Really." Negi insisted. "I know all you have is my word right now, but during a war in my world, Fate rescued a lot of children who were orphaned from it."

"Eh?" Sumi's eyes widened slightly in surprise, attention briefly drifting to the Averruncus.

The white suited boy stoically remained standing, despite everyone having either taken a seat or fallen asleep by now. His eyes were trained onto the road, presumably keeping watch for the arrival of the Taisha.

Starring at the other, the Hero had some trouble picturing the other performing the action Negi credited him with. Though brief in knowing him, almost everything she had experienced from the other thus far, from their words, demeanor, and the action of robbing her ability to speak, didn't paint the best picture of Fate. Looks could be deceiving, but the rough first impression had not helped. Maybe she'd ask about it later.

"But anyway."

The words snapped Sumi's attention back toward the person beside her.

"I'm not sure how long we'll be here, but I'd much rather us be friends, than have this air of suspicion looming around during my stay. So, I hope you'll give me the chance to earn your trust sometime, Washio-san." The young mage finished, looking toward her with the kindest smile he could make.

Caught off guard by the sudden friendly and forwardness of the other, Sumi's face turned a deep red. "M-maybe." Of all the things Sumi had been expecting when Negi approached her, this sudden forwardness had not been one of them. Gin and Sonoko may have helped her ease up somewhat, and while she wouldn't say her demeanor was overall __as__ tense as before befriending them, it had taken a while for her to fully relax around the pair. For another she just met, to say something so suddenly like that, with such a face too, was not an experience Sumi was used to.

"I'm happy to hear that." Smile only growing wider, Negi replied.

It was starting to get quite difficult to maintain her current level of wariness for the other, in the face of everything. They were just being so __nice.__ Just about every step of the way, Negi had been extremely polite and patient. He had answered all the questions raised by her, helped Gin when her friend had gone to battle three Vertex alone, healed their injuries, especially the severe ones Gin had taken, and was now even stating they wanted to be friends. Her friends even appeared to trust him, if not Fate, so perhaps she could give him a __chance…?__

Wait, no. Between everything and being so disarmed by the other's friendly behavior, she __almost__ forgot about one of the main, still unaddressed reasons for her distrust. The western last name, that was still a large red flag and something she had to ask the other about. Perhaps it was just the misfortune of his parents being western and Negi was born in Japan, she could __possibly__ overlook it then. Sumi couldn't think of how else he could've spoke Japanese so flawlessly.

"I sense many people approaching." Fate spoke up, interrupting Sumi's thoughts and drawing the attention of everyone still awake.

"Ah, I assume that's the Taisha." Negi said, standing up and walking over to join Fate.

Unfortunately for Sumi, this meant she'd have to pursue this line of thought later.

Moments later, many moving sets of lights appeared, rapidly making their ward toward the group.

Rising and taking a few steps toward the other two, Sumi squinted for a better look at the approaching lights. Something seemed a bit unusual. Normally, the Taisha only came with one car to pick them up. This time, at least from what the Hero could see right now, they had come in far excess of the norm, instead looking like a small __convoy.__ It appeared the Taisha shared the healthy concern of current events that she did.

"They'll be here shortly. We should wake the other two." Fate commented.

"I think they should be allowed to rest. They must be exhausted if they fell asleep that fast." Negi returned, shaking his head

A short time later, the collection of vehicles parked at the roadside near the bottom of the hill. From them, emerged a large group of people, all of them looking virtually identical in the darkness. Their bulky, long and white Heian Era style kimonos, thin and narrow foot tall black hats, and white mask, adorned with the Shinju's symbol, obscuring any possible features that could identify them. Furthermore, all of them moved in almost perfect synch with each other, less like individuals, and more akin to a well-oiled machine. The two combined factors made it quite easy to believe there weren't people beneath the mask, but robots.

Some remained at the cars, which were kept running, while the remainder approached the group, several members further splintering off and moving toward Gin and Sonoko.

"Negi Springfield-san and Fate Averruncus-san?" One of the robed members stepped forward to address the two, their voice belonging to that of a male's.

"That's us. Pleased to meet you." Negi greeted, customarily bowing slightly.

The Taisha member returned the greeting. "Please, come with us. We have prepared lodgings for the night while we discuss your situation."

"Thank you, any assistance is appreciated." Negi replied. They then turned toward Sumi. "It was a pleasure talking with you, Washio-san. We'll see you later." The child added a bow.

"Farewell, Negi-san." Sumi mimicked the other.

Afterwards, the pair of mages were led by the majority of the group toward one of the parked cars and ushered inside. Once the car with them departed, almost all of the other ones followed suit behind it, leaving behind a number much more in line with how they usually picked up the Heroes.

With the other two gone, Sumi turned her attention back toward her friends. Both of them were still out cold and now being carried toward a remaining car by the Taisha, with Sumi joining the group in their walk toward the car.

Taking a seat in the car, Sumi could hear a mumbled "Five more minutes…" from Sonoko, as she and Gin were placed alongside her in the vehicle. Sonoko never changed.

A moment after the doors closed and the vehicle quickly began moving, traveling across the road in near silence, only the soft hum of the engine reverberating within the confines of the car.

With the ordeal seemingly behind her for now and finally feeling comfortable in relaxing, the raven-haired girl let out a yawn. The day had been a long one; a field trip with various exercise courses; an extreme struggle against three Vertex that had turned sour in short order, and then everything involving the two new arrivals. Frankly, it had all left her exhausted, but at least it was finally over now. She didn't want to fall asleep in the car, but with the distance to her home being unknown, the hypnotic hum of the vehicle, and both her friends asleep as her sides tempting her, the lure of sleep was too powerful to ignore. Her eyes slowly closing, Sumi joined her friends in slumber a short time into the drive home.


	3. Chapter 3

The following day, the situation with arriving at one of the Taisha's compounds could accurately be described as tense for Negi and Fate. After being picked up by the Taisha and driven to yet another area, the pair were greeted by one of the organization's members.

"Welcome. Please, come with me. We have prepared a room for you to wait in while everyone else is informed of your arrival." The man bowed, a mask obstructing his face and his robes swaying slightly with movement, before leading the pair into the compound and toward the location in question. The room in question was a traditionally styled Japanese room, if rather simply decorated. Within the confines was a low, plain table, with a tray on it containing some food and two cups.

The demeanor of the man or the other Taisha weren't the cause for the atmosphere. If anything, the tray in the room had been a welcoming gesture. It had been what occurred the previous night.

After having arrived at the lodgings provided by the Taisha, a mostly barebones room with minimum furnishings, the pair had discovered their housing was set up with listening devices. As part of the extrasensory perception all mages possessed, magic users could feel when they were 'being observed', with the strongest able to detect even the subtlest attempts at spying. Despite Fate's initial idea to make such a fact known to whomever was listening on the other end, Negi had used a little lightning magic to fry the devices almost immediately so the two could talk in peace, arguing it'd be best to not strain relationships any further. Already off to a bad start, the two had wasted no time in investigating what they could about the world, using magic to access the local area's internet via their phones. So dedicated to the task, the two mages had spent the entire night up, right until shortly before another car had arrived to take the pair to the meeting location. A normal person would have been left tired and ill-prepared for the meeting to come, but the combination of immortality and world-class level body reinforcement magic, meant that the two had no difficulty staying awake for weeks, even months without feeling any ill effects, provided their magic usage was properly controlled and regulated. During the investigation, both found more unsettling information and quickly concluded that the Taisha were hiding something, as many bits of information were incomplete, or even outright missing from the public space. The Vertex, the exact duty and powers wielded by Gin, Sonoko, and Sumi, or the landscape's otherworldly transformation, all were facts seemingly kept out of the public eye. Even more odd, the reason for the start of the "Divine Era" nearly 300 years ago, was apparently a virus from beyond the Shinju's barrier that had nearly wiped out humanity. Combined with the Vertex, it felt like there was far more to the story than public records let on.

Yet, aside from the concerns over how much information was being locked away, another reason remained as the cause for the current atmosphere.

Fate, sitting at the table, starred down at his cup, his usual dull and unamused expression, tainted with a hint of a scowl. "This is tea."

"Yes, is there a problem...?" The man asked, standing just outside the room. While his facial features were obscured by the mask nearly all Taisha wore, assuming their expression shifted to mildly perplexed would have been a safe one.

The Averruncus _slowly_ turned their head toward the voice, starring at them with an unblinking and piercing gaze that seemed to be less directed toward them, and more looking directly through them. "I hate tea."

"Fate, don't be rude. They meant well." Negi said with mild exasperation, yet he couldn't help the slightest hint of amusement creep in his tone.

Fate knew the other had to be enjoying every second of this. They quite often had heated arguments involving coffee and tea, and which was the superior drink. He favored coffee, Negi supported leaf water. The mage wasn't going to let this slide so easily.

"I-I see. Is there s-something else you would prefer?" The Taisha man, voice slightly quivering, asked.

Fate starred at the other in silence, the seconds ticking by and the atmosphere growing even more intense with each passing one. His gaze unwavering, menacing, a cold fury, like an ocean surface hiding a storm just beneath the calm waves.

Even with the heavy clothing obscuring their body language, the Taisha member was visibly becoming unnerved by the glare, hands placed low in front of their body, like some kind of shield, fingers shifting uncomfortable.

"Hurry calling us in, so as not to waste anymore of my time."

"V-very well." The man closed the door and practically shot down the hallway like a bullet, judging from the loud footsteps that soon faded.

After a few moments, Negi sighed, erecting an invisible magical barrier in a circle around the two. "There, now we shouldn't have to worry about them listening in on anything we say." He paused for a brief moment, before adding. "I know you're not going to drink that. Do you mind if I have it? I'd hate for the tea to go to waste."

"If you wish to defile your taste buds with this leaf water, then go ahead." Fate replied indignantly, passing the cup toward Negi. It hadn't even taken a minute for him to get the perfect opportunity to get the last word.

Negi shot Fate a disgruntled look, taking the cup. "Another world, and yet, you still won't even gi-" The remainder of Negi's sentence died in his throat once he looked down at the contents of the cup. Face turning to horror, Negi saw that the tea within the cup had been _petrified._ From what he could sense, Fate had used the highest-grade petrification spell he could muster without a chant. Negi couldn't undo that. The tea was completely unsalvageable. The child looked up at the other, glaring at Fate with barely contained contempt, as if they had just burned down his house. His grip on the cup tightening in sync with his growing frustration at the other. "How dare you waste perfectly good tea."

"Come now, Negi-kun, we have more important matters to discuss. Our relationship has barely even begun, and already the Taisha are proving ofquestionable character. Serving me tea and attempting to spy on our conversations. They are doing a poor job at building any trust." Fate stated. Though, his face was nearly the same as ever, his voice revealed the Averruncus' true intentions. Containing just the slightest touch of bemusement, it was almost undetectable, given his normal manner of speaking, but with just enough of a pinch, he knew Negi would notice it. He also knew that Negi was aware he spoke the truth, and would let the argument rest, for now, to focus on the more pressing concerns. They had important matters to discuss before the meeting.

With great reluctance, a frustrated sigh, and a stare that plainly said, 'We'll settle this later', Negi put the cup back onto the table, letting the matter of coffee vs tea be continued on another day. "I know." The other mage replied, frowning mildly, mood soured slightly over what just occurred, but also due to Fate's assessment being correct. "However, the Taisha appear to be the absolute authority here. While they seem to have more than a little healthy caution, I would like to try and work with them to some degree, if possible. We already discussed this matter yesterday."

Fate's eyes slightly narrowed, once again unimpressed. "This was before we learned they had placed listening devices in our room. Even if they do possess anything of use to us, I highly doubt it will be shared without expending effort that would be better placed elsewhere."

"And, that is exactly why I came up with a few ideas last night to offer them in ways we could provide assistance, try to build some trust with them." Negi calmly replied, smile returning to his face after taking a sip of his tea, from the cup Fate hadn't defiled with his petrification.

"After the current issues, you and I both know there is more to some of your proposed ideas than merely trying to get into the Taisha's good graces." Fate knowingly stated. Negi was the kind of person who always wanted to help people, arguably overextending himself to provide aid sometimes. If not for his immortality, Fate wouldn't have considered it an outlandish possibility for Negi to work himself half to death on furthering the Blue Mars Project. He already did enough work to kill a normal man, all with a smile on his face. "You're concerned about the three girls we spoke with yesterday."

"You know me well enough, that that shouldn't come as a surprise." Negi admitted, his voice shifting to a more serious tone. "But, given they seem to work for the Taisha and their attitude, I think it would be far easier to teach those three if they trust, or at least tolerate, us. That's-"

A knock sounded from the door, cutting off Negi's words. The arrival had been _unexpectedly_ quick, all but confirming to the two mages it had likely been another attempt at trying to listen in on their discussions.

"Ah, that must be them. Let's get going, Fate." Negi said, placing his cup back on the tray and rising from his position at the table, soon joined by Fate.

* * *

Life was filled with unexpected twists and turns, a statement which, in Sonoko's opinion, was an accurate way to describe everything that had happened not even within the last 24 hours. Yesterday had started as a simple and fun day, with Gin and Sumi even agreeing to teach her how to cook tomorrow! That was an activity she was greatly looking forward to and seemed like it'd be great fun, especially given how masterfully Gin prepared some of the food on their field trip.

But, it had all changed the moment the Vertex attacked. Their happy field trip morphed into a nightmare in short order, the fight started terrible, with her and Sumi being knocked unconscious shortly into it. After waking up, she'd been scared, no, _terrified_ when seeing Gin wasn't around and learning what she'd gone to do. The axe user was the strongest of them by far, but three Vertex at once was more than a daunting challenging. Thankfully, almost like a miracle, everything had turned out better than fine with the arrival of Negi and Fate. Two people her age wielding fantastical magic powers and possibly even coming from an entirely different world… She wondered what kind of history they had. Just from initial impressions, she felt like there was quite a story to them, one that might make a good novel and let her try out some new ideas. However, things weren't going to go back to business as usual so easily.

The day after had barely begun before things immediately started getting eventful. Instead of waking up in her comfortable bed with Sancho, her special pillow, and preparing for Saturday, the girl, along with her friends, instead found themselves in a _hospital,_ despite all injuries being fully healed. Odd, but the explanation provided by the people there, that they wanted to monitor the Heroes' conditions themselves as a precaution, seemed reasonable. Unfortunately, it meant the plans they'd made for today had to be shelved, but at least everyone was ok.

Shortly after a quick check up, a visit from concerned parents, and confirming nothing was wrong, the Taisha had arrived. The Heroes were to be taken to another location for an additional checkup to ensure there were no residual issues, something about, given the more mystical origins of the methods used yesterday, it would be best to have some priests within the Taisha double check their conditions. That was where things started feeling weird to Sonoko.

The entire process felt a bit odd and become a topic of discussion for the three Heroes on the ride toward the other location, the group wondering why all the extra measures for something like this? They all _felt_ perfectly fine. However, once at the location, which she noted was oddly remote, Sonoko caught sight of another red flag, Negi and Fate. Sonoko had always been far more perceptive than her laid back and spacey demeanor portrayed. With the last clue, everything fell into place and Sonoko understood exactly why they had been brought here. The Taisha didn't fully trust the two new arrivals, whom wielded otherworldly powers that far exceeded a normal person's strength, if their apparent ability to help Gin against the Vertex meant anything. This power, if it had to be fought against, needed a Hero. A Hero, like herself.

The physical, while likely done out of legitimate concern for the safety of their only defense against the Vertex, was not the only reason her, Gin, and Sumi had been called to the same building as the two mages. They were insurance, something to provide the Taisha a sense of security in the event any 'incidents' occurred. Of course, that wasn't the only reason she and Sumi hadn't made any attempts to leave once their exams, both indicating perfect health, finished. The two were waiting for Gin, who's was taking a lot longer than either of theirs had. It'd been well over a few hours now and both of the remaining Heroes were starting to feel a bit anxious.

Suddenly, the door opened, with Gin strolling out from wthin. "Finally, I thought they were never going to let me out of there!" Gin stated with an exasperated voice and her arms in the air in an exaggerated manner, before promptly slumping her shoulders in a similarly overdramatic fashion.

"Mino-san's back!" Sonoko exclaimed, happy to see her friend again. After hearing nothing for a while, she was starting to get worried something _had_ actually been wrong with Gin. "How'd it go~?"

"I kept telling them I felt fine, but they still checked me over three times. Couldn't find anything, but a couple battle scars. Gonna take more than that to bring down Gin-sama." Gin stated triumphantly, puffing out her chest with a proud smirk.

Sumi, on the other hand, starred at Gin with a stern glare. However, her attempts to look imposing weren't as successful as she'd have liked, the obvious worry on her features weakening the effect of her glare somewhat.

"Oy, Sumi, what'd I do this time?" Gin questioned, looking mildly uncomfortable under the other's watch.

"I'm happy to hear you're alright, but Gin." Sumi stopped for a brief moment, collecting herself. "Don't do something like that again."

Gin's smile faltered slightly at the indirect mention of the near disaster yesterday. "Hey, everything turned out ok, right? We're all just fine now."

The other's words did little to ease the worry in Sumi's face and tone, voice shaking slightly with her reply. "But it almost didn't. If those two didn't show up when they did, you could've-" But, any further words died in her throat. It was painful, remembering the near disaster from not even 24 hours ago. They all knew how bad Gin's injuries had been. She had holes in multiple places on her body, large gashes across her arms and sides, with terrifying amounts of blood coming from all of them. A Hero's body was more resistant to trauma and could even heal moderate injuries at a much quicker pace than a normal person's, but it still had limits. Limits that Gin had almost certainly exceeded in the last fight.

"Sumi." Gin, breaking the silence and heavy atmosphere that had quickly taken hold, spoke up, putting a reassuring hand on the top of her friend's head. Her voice more heavy than normal, but still containing some of her customary spirit. "I'll be more careful, alright? I ain't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. We said we're gonna be friends forever, didn't we?" More of her typical strength returning to her voice, Gin shot Sumi a cheeky grin.

While Gin's attempts at lifting the mood helped, the atmosphere of the room still felt heavy and a touch oppressive, the unsaid worry of the axe-using Hero' death, still looming over the room, like an invisible fog.

"Hey~" Things had gotten a little too dark for her liking. Feeling that a change in subject would've been good for the conversation, Sonoko spoke up, using her usual bright and cheery tone. "Since everyone's fine, that means we're ready for tomorrow, right~?"

For a brief second, Gin and Sumi shared a look of confusion, only for realization to dawn on Gin's about what Sonoko referred to, an instant later.

"That's right! We were going to teach you how to cook!" Gin, energy and warmth returning back to her face, excitedly stated, slapping herself on the forehead for almost forgetting.

"Ah, between everything that's happened, I almost forgot." Sumi admitted, sounding slightly embarrassed.

"Sumi, you know how much Sonoko was looking forward to that. How could you." Gin, grinning, teased in a mock scolding tone.

"Forgetting about that, Wasshi's so mean..." Sonoko, joining in, whined in a light hearted and teasing manner, looking hurt.

"H-Hey!" Face turning red in embarrassment at the other's comments, Sumi barely managed a few stuttering words. "I didn't forget!"

In a matter of moments, the dark topic and air of earlier had completely evaporated, instead replaced by the usual fun and casual one their talks usually had, exactly as Sonoko had been hoping for.

"We were going to make yakisoba, right?" Gin, shifting the subject slightly, asked while reassuringly patting Sumi's head, calming her slightly, but doing little to remove the blush from her face and getting a low whine from the girl.

"Yep. I can't wait~." Smiling widely, Sonoko answered. Even if learning how to cook may not have been _technically_ needed, her household had people who would get or do anything for her as soon as she asked, it didn't make her any less excited. If anything, this just made her look forward to it more. It was nice to have something you could do for yourself with some independence, especially if it made for a good excuse to spend time with her friends.

"Great! In the meantime, I don't know about you girls, but I'm feeling restless after being stuck in there for hours, and who knows how long the Taisha will still want us to stick around. I'm gonna go walk around a bit and stretch my legs." Gin declared, already taking a few steps away.

"Waaaaaait. I'll come too~." Sonoko called out, following after Gin. While she also wanted to move around a bit, letting Gin go off on her own wasn't exactly the best idea. Knowing her luck, the girl would somehow get involved in something to delay coming back, even in the middle of one of the Taisha's buildings.

"We have been here for a while, but I think we should continue waiting until the Taisha return and tell us what to do next. As you said Gin, we might not be finished today." Sumi, having composed herself from the earlier teasing, protested, shaking her head against the idea.

"Come on, Sumi. Aren't you feeling bored, just sitting here the whole time?" Gin stopped her steps, turning back to address the other.

"It'll be fine, Wasshi~. We won't be gone long~." Sonoko chimed in casually.

The comebacks gave the raven-haired girl brief pause, making her silently think the options over for a moment. If she was honest, things were starting to feel a bit oppressive and stir crazy. Getting a few minutes to relax wasn't a bad idea. "Alright." She relented with a sigh. "But, no going too far from here, and I'm coming along." Sumi added. Besides, she didn't like being left out of group activities.

"Yay~"

"Heh, that's what I'd expect from Sumi. Let's get going!" Gin said, resuming her walk.

* * *

Standing outside a doorway with his arms crossed, Negi sighed, eyes closed and with a worried face. _{I don't like how that went.}_ The mage telepathically sent to the one standing beside him, Fate.

 _{I don't trust them.}_ Came Fate's immediate reply, alongside a glance toward him.

 _{Yes, the entire topic relating to the Vertex and that virus felt questionable. I can't help but wonder just how serious what's being hidden is.}_ Negi agreed, looking tense. Despite the distrust, he still wanted to try and help however he could.

The meeting with the Taisha, to put things lightly, had been turbulent. Discussion started easy enough, with Negi explaining to the Taisha, most of what he had told the girls last night. They seemed to readily accept the idea, especially in the face of Fate having completely and utterly destroyed 3 of the Vertex with no knowledge of the Shinju, making it hard to deny. Afterwards, the topic shifted to if they had any clue of if the Shinju was responsible for being called here. The Taisha mentioned they were still investigating and deciphering if that was the case, and they'd likely know soon. With that line of thought at a dead end, things moved onto the Vertex themselves and details, as neither he nor Fate could find anything in public spaces.

The answers given by the Taisha, that they were related to a virus that had wiped out humanity 298 years ago, didn't hold much weight to him _or_ Fate. The two had immense experience with the supernatural and could spot something related to it when they saw it. Compounding this, when questioned about the idea of them exploring the outside world, given both he and Fate were immortal, possessed magical protection of the highest grade to render them immune to any sickness, and strength to combat the Vertex, the Taisha present had swiftly, nervously even, tried to dissuade them with excuses, none of which seemed to be terribly convincing. Furthermore, why name something based on a virus, 'Vertex', something referring to a peak? How would a simple virus create these monsters? Too many red flags. If not for him reigning in Fate after asking if the Taisha took them for fools, who knew how things could have gone. While he didn't exactly disagree with the Averruncus and wanted to know more on this, he hadn't wanted to put the Taisha on the defensive that early, not while he could still fish for more information and see if they could slip up on anything else.

 _{I understand what you said earlier about everyone having their reasons for secrets, and their's may be a grave one, but based upon first impressions, they are a fanatical organization with an extreme leaning toward information control, and accustomed to possessing unchallenged power, while likely believing everything they do is justified and in the name of the greater good, by right of their deity. I know exactly this type, from my time with Cosmo Entelecheia.}_ Fate sternly continued with a shake of his head dismissively.

Negi frowned, tilting his head slightly toward Fate. The other had been part of an organization, led by the god and creator of the Magical World, dedicated toward trying to save the inhabitants of the world, by sending them to an idealized world, before the current one had collapsed. They employed various methods to manipulate the world and its people toward their believed noble purpose, some of them fanatically devoted and thinking themselves correct by divine right of the world's creator. Not all of them were exactly _bad_ people, but still… _{I don't exactly disagree with all of your assessment, but…. I think that comparison might be a bit too far, especially when we barely know them. Besides, even though Cosmo Entelecheia's methods were questionable and they refused to compromise, the people in it weren't all bad. Some of them, and the Magical World's Government, thought it was the only way in a desperate situation.}_

 _{Perhaps, but they do not trust us and earning it is unlikely. That much is clear after the meeting.}_ Fate said, narrowing his eyes at Negi.

 _{I understand and agree we should be careful going forward. However, that doesn't change my desire to at least give them a chance and to help the girls. Besides, when I offered to teach the Heroes some magic, the idea wasn't immediately thrown off the table. That's progress.}_ Smile returning back to his face, Negi responded optimistically and with an affirming nod. _{Those three are risking their lives to protect this place, and one of them almost died last night. I can't just ignore that, and I don't believe the Taisha would be so stubborn as to either.}_

Afterwards, the topic had shifted toward less awkward topics and some minor discussion, mainly concerning living arrangements if they'd be staying a while. During that conversation, he'd been met with quite a bit of disbelief at evidently being a college graduate, something he offered to take any kind of test to prove, but Negi had finally managed to bring forth his idea of teaching magic to the Heroes. If there was to be any hope of receiving aid, he had to provide something in exchange. The Taisha were, understandably, initially skeptical, but he couldn't be certain to what degree, given their masks and thick robes obscuring much of their body language. After all, he knew that it was usual for someone of his age to be teaching others in this manner. However, after offering to first demonstrate the combat abilities of magic for the Taisha first, so they could better understand what they would be agreeing to, and explaining, the fact he'd already been a teacher and likely possessed more live combat experience than the three Heroes combined, they seemed to relent ever so slightly, perhaps even considering the idea, judging from the brief silence that fell. Offering to showcase your powers to an unknown organization may have been a questionable idea, but it seemed like an easy way to get some trust. Besides, him and Fate weren't going to reveal _everything._

Further supporting his case to teach the others, was Fate mentioning, albeit somewhat dark and bluntly, that Gin certainly would have died without their intervention and it didn't seem like whatever their current strategy was, was working, coupled with they wouldn't be here for long in case anymore disasters happened. In his words, magic could be something to prevent further incidents like this. However, the Averruncus did mention that, even if they learned magic, it could take a while to master it and a short-term solution may be needed in the meantime. The mage didn't think he was wrong, but would have perhaps phrased things a bit more diplomatically. Regardless, the two mages seemed to have left some kind of impression, as afterwards, they had been ushered out for the Taisha to discuss the matter, leaving them in their current situation of waiting outside the door.

Fate once more shook his head, a rare and small grin briefly appearing on his face. _{You always do try to save everyone. Provided it doesn't consume your attention, I hope you're right and that your plan works, Negi-kun. However, in respect to trust, as things currently stand, the listening devices and-}_ Fate's telepathic communications suddenly cut off. "-the eavesdroppers are a poor indication that we possess any." Speaking traditionally for the first time in the exchange, voice accusatory, the Averruncus leisurely glanced down toward the opposite end of the hall at three small figures that were poking their heads out from the sides of the entrance.

Caught red-handed, two of them immediately and reflexively ducked behind the walls they were glancing out from, at the acknowledgement of their presence by Fate.

"Well, guess they saw us~." The yellow haired remaining one said.

"Hey!" Negi called down the hall, waving. "You can come out, it's alright."

Moments later, Gin and Sumi, cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment, emerged from their hiding places and, joined by Sonoko, approached Negi and Fate.

"I apologize for eavesdropping, it wasn't our intention." Bowing, Sumi apologetically stated.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We were just going to walk around a bit, then we saw you guys, and you looked like you were having a conversation, but didn't actually _say_ anything, guess we got curious, and before we knew it, started starring." Gin added with a slightly sheepish laugh.

"Was it more magic~?" Sonoko interjected, eyes sparkling with curiosity at the idea.

"Actually, it was. We can speak telepathically." Negi answered casually.

"Ooooooooh! That's so cool! How do you do that~?" The reply just seemed to further excite Sonoko.

"Well, it's kind of a long story and we might be called in at any moment. I'm not sure if I'd have time to explain it in detail. Perhaps another time, when I get the chance to teach you some." Negi continued. The mage knew himself well enough to acknowledge he could talk for an _extremely_ long time on a subject, it partially came with the territory of being a teacher, and now was not the best time for a lecture.

"That sounds like it's going to involve a lot of studying…" Gin dryly remarked, the energy and life slowly fading from her face at the idea of more studying. Fighting giant monsters and arduous physical training, that was one thing and she was fine with it, it could even be fun at times. Having to sit still for a while and read a book? Completely different matter.

"Gin, this is why I always tell you that you shouldn't neglect your studying habits. They're important." Sumi sternly scolded.

"Well, part of using magic involves the mind and willpower to control the spells." Negi interjected.

"Sooooo, like your spirit and guts?" Life and enthusiasm started returning to Gin's features at this new piece of information. "Perfect! I'll master it in no time!"

"But, it's also a lot of intense studying and academics as well."

The addition visibly deflated Gin. She looked like a child who had just been given the key to a candy store, only to find the building had already been torn down. "Ugh, I thought magic was supposed to be fun."

"I'm sure you'll take to it just fine. I'm accustomed to teaching people as well. I had one student in my class, they didn't take to studying regular subjects much, but they had quite a passion for magic, once they discovered it. Perhaps you'll be the same." Negi comforted with a smile. He briefly thought back to the student in question, Yue Ayase, which then sent his mind wandering toward the rest of his class. It hadn't even been a full 24 hours since he and Fate had vanished, but he hoped everyone was doing alright and not worrying too much. He'd gone long periods without much contact before, on account of his busy schedule traveling and organizing the Blue Mars Project, but he could always get to them if any emergencies happened, not like now. With The Lifemaker, God of the magical world, still out there and unaccounted for, he couldn't help worrying.

"Maybe. All the stuff you can do _does_ look fun." Gin admitted.

Exactly half a second of silence passed.

"Wait." Her eyes slowly went wide, realization overtaking her face. " _What was that?_ " The implication of someone the same age as them being a regular teacher was so past being reasonable, it evidently took a few seconds delayed reaction for it to be proceeded. Having superhuman abilities was one matter, as it was something they themselves were already used to. Sumi even had some teacher like moments, but imagining a kid their age in the same kind of position as their school instructor full time? That was something else entirely.

Three curious pairs of eyes starred at Negi. Sonoko had even taken her phone out, fingers hovering over the screen, prepared to start taking notes.

Negi opened his mouth to reply, but the feeling of an approaching presence, followed by the sound of the door opening behind the group, cut him off.

One of the Taisha emerged from the entrance, glanced briefly at Negi and Fate, before looking toward the three Heroes, then pausing for a moment. It appeared the presence of the Heroes had not been expected. "Excuse us for one more moment." Briefly speaking, the other then headed back into the room.

That had taken less time than Negi had expected. He had been hoping for at least a few more minutes to discuss matters with the three girls, but he could still make this work. He'd just have to move things along quickly if he were to set his current plans in motion.

Firstly, he had to use a little magic to muffle the discussion and ensure no one in the other room would hear this. Then, he could keep talking until the last moment someone came to retrieve him and Fate. "Looks like we'll have to address that later. One quick question, before Fate and I go for now. We're currently discussing demonstrating some magic for the Taisha, and I think it would be a good opportunity to also show each of you what magic can do in terms of combat and gain an understanding of what to expect using it. It's a lot more than just cleaning stains on your clothes. We're still deciding on exactly when, but I imagine they'll want to see this as soon as possible, within the next few days, maybe even tomorrow. Are there any issues if you came along?"

He knew, to a degree, Fate was likely right about the Taisha and their obsession with information control and power. That obviously was a problem, as the presence of him, Fate, and magic, represented something beyond their control, that couldn't be so easily kept under a lock. They had already asked him to try and keep magic hidden when discussing living arrangements, giving further weight to his concerns. By itself, that wasn't something to fret over. The child was used to operating in secret, magic was hidden from society at large on Earth in his world, but given the circumstances, he couldn't help being concerned about the exact motives here. They might try to distance the Heroes, who Negi still couldn't be certain of how much they knew but it wasn't likely much, from it as much as they realistically could to keep a better handle on it, perhaps not even bringing them to the demonstration, instead judging for themselves. Negi would've disagreed with that, that the Heroes had every right to know what they were getting into. If he planted the idea into them already and gained some support from the Heroes themselves, knowing they could easily come to whatever arrangements were made and having already discussed it, perhaps he could use that as some pressure or to try and schedule a time he knew they'd be available. Of course, there was always the possibility he was overthinking things and no such resistance would be met by the Taisha. He hoped for that being the case, but the mage would have rather been over prepared and covered all his bases, than under prepared and outplayed.

Sumi frowned lightly. "Tomorrow is not a good day, we have plans."

"Mino-san and Wasshi are going to teach me how to cook~."

Moving on from the interjection by Sonoko, Sumi continued. "Then, we have school on the following week, along with regular practice."

"Hey, after what happened yesterday, you don't think we'll get any vacation?" Gin shot toward Sumi, looking off-put by the idea of barely even getting a day's break after the ordeal last night.

"According to the Taisha, we're all in fine condition. If anything, what happened means we need to train more. We also missed our scheduled practice today." Came Sumi's almost immediate comeback.

"Don't worry too much about the time. I still need to use today to find a location, but we're able to teleport, so getting everyone there and back in a timely manner, even late in the day, isn't an issue. I'm sure we can work something out." Negi quickly added to prevent anything else from further derailing the conversation.

"Jeeze." Sighing, Gin spoke up. "Teleporting too? What _can't_ you do?"

"Plenty of things, but we'll discuss more another time. Fate and I have to go now."

As if cued by Negi's words, the door behind the group swung open, revealing the same robed Taisha from earlier. "Negi Springfield-san, Fate Averruncus-san. Please, come with me." The voice of the man was neutral, borderline robotic even. "Heroes, we will come for you later." Shifting attention to the others, he added.

"Goodbye, for now. We'll talk later." Giving some parting words, Negi trailed behind the man into the meeting room, followed by Fate. He hoped this one would go smoother than the last one.

* * *

"I can't wait to see what else magic can do." Gin, voice brimming with wonder, said, breaking the silence that had briefly overcome the group after Negi and Fate's departure while the trio traveled back to the room they'd been waiting in. "I wanna learn how to shoot fireballs. What about you girls?"

Sonoko tilted her head, looking skyward in thought about what she'd want to do with magic. "Weren't they flying? That looked fun~. I wonder what it's like to sleep on a cloud…"

"Knowing you, you'd probably end up floating off into space while asleep…"

The blonde was utterly unphased by the comment from Gin and, if anything, just seemed to grow more excited at the possibility. "Hey, hey, Mino-san, Wasshi~! Let's learn how to fly and go to space~!"

Sumi sighed at the grand idea suggested from her friend. The girl could often spout out some rather off the wall and unpredictable sentences, but _this_ ranked pretty high up there. "Sonnochi, I don't think it's that simple."

"What about you, Sumi? What kind of ideas are bouncing around in your head?" Gin chimed in, shifting her attention to the black-haired girl, eying her curiously.

Now, that was a good question that the girl had to stop and think about. Putting her hand to her chin, the girl pondered the possibilities. What _would_ she do with magic? What could it do? She was familiar with some various supernatural abilities from mythology, but given the circumstances, the Hero couldn't be certain if it could be used as a reference. Aside from Gin's battle with the Vertex alongside Negi and Fate, they'd only seen a few minor displays. Her last line of thought made Sumi stop dead. Shouldn't Gin have already seen them fight and some of the combat abilities of magic and already know what they could do? "Wait, Gin. Didn't you get a chance to see them use magic against the Vertex?" Sumi asked, brows knitted.

Gin shook her head in response. "Didn't really get to see too much. I was so focused on fighting, I didn't realize exactly what happened, until the Vertex had already been taken care of, and Negi-san jumped in and pulled me out of the fight, just before something hit me. It all happened pretty fast. Fighting one minute, everything's fine the next."

"Hmmm." Sonoko leisurely hummed, mind clearly starting to drift somewhere else. "So, he showed up at the perfect time to daringly whisk Mino-san away to safety~?" Her eyes were sparkling with the familiar indication of planning one of her novels. Her often heavily romantic novels, whose content could get questionably appropriate for the author's age and drew legions of fans online.

"T-that's what you got from this?" Gin fired at Sonoko, light blush starting to appear on her face. "What's that supposed to imply?!"

But, Sonoko already seemed to be lost in her own world. "Oooh, and wasn't Spring-san carrying you _bridal_ style~?" Eye's shining like a kid on Christmas morning, Sonoko continued. The other name for such a thing was a princess carry, however, the blonde already knew about Gin's dream of being a bride. Combined with it carrying stronger implications, the novelist was naturally more inclined toward that name in this instance. She knew it was going to fluster Gin _far_ more and get a cuter reaction. "That gives me some ideas~."

Gin's face instantly turned a _deep_ crimson at Sonoko's teasing comments. There weren't too many topics that could seriously fluster her, but, on the small list of things that could, this sat near the very top. "S-S-Sonoko! It's embarrassing already! J-just what kind of story are you thinking about this time?!" Seeking retribution for the flustering comments, Gin grabbed and pulled at Sonoko's cheeks.

"Depends on a few things. You'll find out later~." Sonoko, smile and mood utterly unflinching in the face of Gin's assault, casually replied.

"And what's that supposed to mean!?"

Sumi couldn't help forming a light smile at the scene. Even with the dramatic and wild turn the events from yesterday took, being able to still have life feel normal with these small moments was nice. While their duty was still top priority, events like this were what kept a person going. She also wasn't going to complain about a break in being the subject of Sonoko's _ideas_ this time. Last time the budding novelist had roped her and Gin into helping her with writer's block, it involved getting princess carried by Gin, while Sonoko watched the entire thing and kept telling them to keep the mood romantic whenever they started talking. Whatever mechanism lurked in Sonoko's mind that made these stories, was both a terrifying and impressive thing indeed.

Still, there was something about the current events that bothered the Hero, lurking at the back of her mind and preventing her from fully enjoying the scene. While she had certainly expected Negi and Fate being strong, standing up to the Vertex, especially to get out without any apparent injuries, took quite a bit of strength, there was something that concerned her. In the battle against the three Vertex yesterday, things had deteriorated very early into the battle, with her and Sonoko taking heavy injuries early on. Yet, Gin's words carried the implications that Negi and Fate had quickly defeated the same monsters. Children wielding amazing powers wasn't a new concept to her, she was one of the three blessed by the Shinju with superhuman abilities, but just what kind of a world did they come from that had people her age with so much strength, and _how_ had they gotten it? Perhaps she could learn more and ask questions when they displayed some magic. Whatever date chosen for it was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Chapter 3 here! I'm not late! I'm still within the 2 week update window I promised at the story's start! That said, I do have some bad news on the note of updates. While I had planned my update schedule in order to give me more time to write stuff, I've kinda had a persistent case of bad insomnia for this last month. It's been weeks since I slept more than 4 hours a night and it's seriously messing with my ability to focus and put out writing on the quality level I'm satisfied with, in part due to a lot of my energy going to managing life and just being so mentally unfocused by the time I can write. I wouldn't want to be putting out content I'm not satisfied with. I'm still getting stuff done, but I didn't manage to get as much done as I'd of liked. Was expecting to have gotten several chapters comfortably done+editing by the time I posted this. I'm gonna still try to keep updates rolling at a similar rate, but lemme just say in advance I'm very sorry if there's any delays on future chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:**

And here we are! Chapter 4, with only a mild delay woohoo! We get to an event anyone who's seen WaSuYu is probably going to appreciate. Inspired a bit by Gin's first SSR from the YuYuYui mobile. Looked up multiple videos on how to make Yakisoba, so hope I didn't get anything wrong.

Secondly! This chapter also introduces spell chants to the story! Now, given how Negima's spell chants are largely in Latin or Ancient Greek, that is something I will be keeping for this story where I can, as both of those are SURPRISINGLY accurate for all the canon spells. As breaking up things in the middle of the chapter to write the English TL would be bad, I will be including translations for the spells used in a chapter at the bottom of the post chapter author's notes for where they appear.

* * *

Even though it had only been two days, it had felt like a small eternity to Gin, given how eventful they'd been. But, things felt like they were finally starting to slip back into some semblance of normalcy. The day where she and Sumi were going to teach Sonoko how to cook had finally arrived, something all three of them were excited about. Unfortunately, they weren't going to have as much time as the girl would've liked. The group had, before heading back home for the night, been told by Negi that the magical demonstration was schedule for today. Apparently was partially due to the fact a storm and heavy rain were scheduled to roll in for the remainder of the week. Disappointing, but, thankfully, it was to be later in the day, which amounted to still having a good several hours to practice, more than enough to cook something up and enjoy it. Still, it felt a little weird how _Negi_ had been the one to notify them, instead of the Taisha, but maybe it was because they were the ones showing off? She wasn't going to worry about it much, it didn't seem like a big deal.

For now, Gin was going to enjoy the chance to relax at home a bit with her family, until Sonoko arrived to pick her up. Between everything that had happened, she didn't get much of a chance to spend time with her family, aside from a brief visit in the hospital. She hadn't even gotten to give her brothers the souvenirs from the field trip, till late last night! They'd both seemed to enjoy what she'd brought them, thankfully. Her baby brother, Kintarou, was probably a bit young to really understand outside of it being something new and shiny, but oh, well. It made him happy and smile, and seeing that was all that really mattered to Gin.

Her friends were likely to arrive any minute now, so Gin had decided to spend what she assumed would be her last few minutes at home, with her younger brother in question. Tetsuo had gone out to a friend's, being taken by her dad, which left Gin, Kintarou, and their mother at the house.

"Nee-chan's gonna have to go out for a while soon, so be a good boy for okaa-san while I'm gone, alright?" Delicately rocking her sibling in her arms, Gin softly said.

Her brother responded with a few happy noises and reaching his hands up toward her face.

"Hehe, I know I can count on my future underling." Chucklingly lightly, Gin added, using her free hand to softly poke at Kintarou, the boy grabbing onto one of her fingers with his small hands.

"Oho, someone's getting a pretty strong grip. No surprise, when you're related to a great hero, like me!" Grinning, Gin continued, her voice full of energy.

To say that she was more than happy at being able to continue life like this, would've been a massive understatement. When she'd gone off to confront the three Vertex two days ago, Gin had been fully prepared to fight with everything and sacrifice herself if it meant ensuring the world, her friends, her family, everything she held precious in her heart, got even one more day to live their lives. The girl by no means _wanted_ things to end that way if she could help it, but the situation had been looking pretty bad during the battle, and if it saved everyone, she was ok with it. But, thank to how everything ended up turning out, Gin could still enjoy moments like this, still stay together with her friends and keep their promise for today. If it really was intervention by the Shinju or just random chance was irrelevant to her, all that mattered was everything was going to be fine now and teaching Sonoko how to cook today.

Still, she'd really need to try and think of something to properly thank her rescuers. Now that things were starting to settle, a simple 'thanks for the help' didn't feel good enough for saving her life. But, she didn't have the foggiest idea for what, since she barely knew Negi or Fate at this point. Maybe Sonoko and Sumi could give her some help? They'd done a great job at helping get presents for Tetsuo's birthday a bit back.

At the thought of Sonoko, Gin's mind briefly flashed back to her comments from yesterday, and she felt her face heat up slightly. The novelist's various ideas could get more than a bit embarrassing, but Gin thought that she'd _sort of_ been able to get used to them. Then, Sonoko had to go and start making comments about a boy her age and casually mention her dream in the same breath, the perfect combination to fluster her. Just getting held like that had been embarrassing enough! Maybe she'd have to be careful asking Sonoko about this…

A ping came from her phone, interrupting Gin's thoughts. Carefully setting her brother down, Gin reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, seeing a message from Sonoko saying that her and Sumi were waiting out front.

"Hey, hey." Picking up a nearby rattle, Gin waved it a few times in front of Kintarou's face with a smile, the toy making a few noises that immediately drew her brother's attention and caused him to reach for it with a few excited sounds. "Time for nee-chan to go. Remember, be good!" Handing the rattle to her sibling, Gin stood up and started making her way towards the front door, quickly slipping on her shoes and calling out toward her mom in the room over, before sliding the door open and leaving for the outside. "I'm heading out now, bye!"

Closing the door, Gin saw Sonoko's familiar and expensive looking pale colored car sitting outside her gate. Sticking out of the window to the car, was Sonoko herself, enthusiastically waving her arms and calling out, with an apprehensive looking Sumi sitting in the car beside her. "Hey, hey~! Mino-san, let's go! Everything at my house is ready and waiting~!"

Sonoko definitely was more than excited over their current plans for the day, but that didn't surprise Gin. The blonde had mentioned it several times since they'd made the plans. Still, how far she was extending herself out the window didn't look very secure.

"Sonocchi, you re-" Sumi, slowly reaching an arm up toward her friend, started.

"Waaaaah!" With a surprised scream, Sonoko suddenly lurched forward, nearly falling straight out of the car window. The only thing preventing it, had been Sumi quickly jumping into action and wrapping her arms around the other's waist, trying to pull them back into the car and prevent Sonoko from hitting the pavement.

"Sonnochi! I told you this was going to happen again!" Sumi, frantically maintaining their grip on Sonoko, scolded. Even trying their best, it was clear they were struggling and fighting a losing battle against gravity. "Gin, help!"

"Ah! Hold on, I'm coming!" Rushing off like a rocket, Gin ran over to help her friends as quickly as her legs could move. The day was off to an eventful start.

* * *

Aside from Sonoko's mishap with the car window, the rest of the trip to Sonoko's house proceeded without incident, the group making some idle chatter and discussing some basics for the plans for the day. After arriving at the extravagant Nogi household, the trio quickly headed for the kitchen, which the various servants of the household had vacated for use by the girls at Sonoko's request. The room was equally fancy as the rest of the house. Everything looked virtually spotless, with enormous shelves containing a great number of objects related to cooking neatly laid out. The kitchen looked more like one you'd find in a high-class restaurant, rather than someone's house.

"Alright!" Gin, fastening her red color apron, loudly started. Beneath it, she wore a long sleeve shirt with pink and brown colored stripes going horizontally, adorned with a bright red jacket, the sleeves stopping just above her elbows. Blue shorts covered her lower body. "Sonoko! What's step one, before we start handling anything?"

"Wash our hands, right~?" Sonoko answered, glancing over towards Sumi, who was doing exactly that. Sonoko's outfit was far plainer than Gin's, being a shirt slightly lighter than her hair, with two yellow patches covering the collar, and a simple red skirt. Her apron was much livelier, with vertical white and pink stripes, and decorated with hearts on the tie at the back.

"Correct, but don't forget to roll up your sleeves." Sumi spoke up with an approving smile. It may have been obvious, but with Sonoko's demeanor, better safe than sorry. Her outfit was the most elaborate of the three. A long tan dress, extending to slightly above her ankles. The area around the chest was a dull green, with orange poking out just below her neck. The long sleeves of the outfit were a faded black. Contrasting the more muted color, her apron held a checkered pattern of white and pale green, comparable to her eye color. "Sonnochi, could you help me with the utensils and pans we'll need?"

"I'll get the food!" Gin declared.

A few minutes later, the three had gathered together everything needed to begin preparing the food.

"Sumi, you start mixing the sauce, that's pretty easy. Sonoko, let Gin-sensei show you how to cut everything." Gin started, taking a knife and carrot in hand.

"Yes, Mino-sensei~!" Sonoko enthusiastically replied. Eyes eagerly trained on Gin for any possible instructions, the blonde looked less like she was going to be taught a simple cutting technique, and more about to learn some great secret of the universe.

"You wanna hold it like this while cutting, like a bear claw, see?" Gin raised her hand with the carrot, highlighting the 'bear claw' style she gripped the carrot. "Keeps your hands away from the knife." Gin started slowly cutting the vegetable into segments, ensuring every cut she made was perfectly done and each section relatively even sized, technique refined and practiced from many cuts before it. "Annnnnd you chop it like this, nice and easy. Wanna give it a try?"

The blonde vigorously shook her head, taking the knife and moving to start cutting. "Bear claw, bear claw…" Sonoko repeated to herself while trying to mimic Gin's hand motions. Taking her concentration one step further, Sonoko did her best impression of a growling bear, which sounded far less like an actual bear and more along the lines of a harmless kitten.

Gin could help letting a good-natured snicker escape her mouth at the display. "K-kinda like that, but you're just a little bit off with the knife, don't raise it that high with each one. Now, let's move onto the next couple of things."

After the carrot, Gin and Sonoko moved onto cutting up the next few ingredients, such as green onions, lettuce, and the meat. Things proceeded rather smoothly, with Gin only having to step in to help Sonoko a few times. She took quite well to preparing things, helped by the fact it didn't take very long for each task, which left less time for Sonoko to start spacing out or get distracted with something else. Overall, while her technique needed some improvement and the pieces she cut were not as perfectly distributed as Gin's, it went well for a first time experience.

"Good job!" Gin praised Sonoko, giving an approving smile and thumbs up. "Now, we can start getting ready to put stuff onto the pan."

"Eh? What about the noodles? It's not yakisoba without 'em~." Sonoko, tilting her head, questioned. While the meat and various other ingredients had been prepared and cut into pieces, the main part of the dish had yet to be prepared by the girls.

"We're gonna be doing that while preparing everything. Sumi will show you. Something very important you gotta remember about cooking: you don't cook everything the same length and at once if you want to get it juuuuuust right. Cook the hard vegetables, like the carrots, first before the soft ones and it brings out the flavor in each one. That's how you really make it taste good!" Gin lectured, scooping the various ingredients on the countertop onto a plate to better dump them onto the cooking pan.

"Mino-sensei's really good at this~." Sonoko observed while watching Gin, eyes sparkling.

"Course I am! You pick up a few things when you help with the cooking." Gin boasted with a proud smirk. She helped around the house with many things, including cooking, given how her parents often worked, leaving her to sometimes watch her siblings alone. She may have been young, but Gin was proud of her skills at being such a good cook.

"As expected from the one who wants to be a bride~."

 _That_ immediately deflated any and all bravado the axe user might've had, a light red covering her cheeks. "S-stop it, you're embarrassing me!"

"First need to put some oil onto the pan. Sonnochi, I'll show you while Gin gets what you cut together." Flicking on the burner, Sumi interjected, seeing where this was headed and offering Gin a lifeline out of further embarrassment over Sonoko's antics.

"Okay~." Sonoko, successfully distracted from her current train of thought, leisurely strolled over to Sumi's side.

Gin breathed a sigh of relief, before going back to collecting everything. Ever since she'd told Sonoko and Sumi about her life goal of being a bride and having a family, now that her other dream of being a hero had been fulfilled, the blonde loved to bring it up now and again to fluster her. Apparently, Sonoko thought it was cute and it gave her _plenty_ of ideas, considering how much it apparently contrasted with her usual demeanor and being one of the only things that reliably got to her.

"So, you spread it just like this and get a thin coat on the pan…" Sumi instructed, methodically and carefully spreading a light coating of oil across the cooking ware. She may not have held the same level of skill as Gin, but Sumi still knew a couple tricks and skills to making good food. "Here, try the other half."

Taking the measuring cup, Sonoko tried her hand at spreading the oil. Her attempts at replicating the task with Sumi's precision was somewhat messy, but she'd still managed to cover the majority of what was needed without wasting any of the oil.

"Your technique could use a little refinement, but it's off to a good start, Sonocchi." Sumi observed, giving a friendly smile toward her friend.

"Yay~. Wasshi and Mino-sensei praised me~." Sonoko beamed, feeling proud of herself for her attempts at cooking going so well this far.

"Eh? Why does only Gin get called sensei?" Sumi, looking forlorn and tone mildly dejected, questioned.

"Hm? Wasshi didn't say anything earlier~. Teach me what's next, Wasshi-sensei~." Sonoko replied with a hopeful look.

Red ever so slightly tainted Sumi's face. "R-right. Next are the noodles."

Moving over to the sink, Sumi took a bowl in one hand and dumped the noodles into it with the other. "Before we cook the noodles, it's important to run them under water and loosen them up with your hands, stir them up a bit like this. Be gentle, not too rough. This shouldn't be difficult, so go ahead and try for yourself, Sonnochi." Turning on the water, Sumi stepped aside for Sonoko.

The blonde took Sumi's place and started carefully and leisurely stirred the bowl's contents with one hand, while steadying it with another, a relaxed smile on her face.

"I think that's good enough." Sumi spoke up a short time later. "Gin, how's the food coming along? Is it ready for the noodles, yet?"

"Just about! Smells great too!" Gin replied back energetically with a wide smile. The delicious aroma and sounds of sizzing food were starting to fill the kitchen. "Come on over and I show you how to put everything else on."

Taking that as her cue to go to Gin's side, Sonoko strolled away from sink, turning the water off and taking the bowl of noodles with her. However, the girl had rather quickly pulled the bowl from the sink, before allowing the water a chance to properly drain from it, which caused a splash of it to leak from the holes designed to drain it, right onto the floor and in Sonoko's path of walking.

"Wai-" Sumi started, seeing impending disaster.

Too late, Sonoko stepped onto the puddle and let out a surprised shout, slipping forward and catapulting the bowl out of her hands, directly into Sumi's face. The entire thing had happened in barely a second.

Looking up from her cooking at the commotion, the first thing Gin noticed was Sonoko, face first on the floor. "Sonoko! You alright?" She quickly put down her utensils and rushed to check on her friend.

Rising with a slight groan, Sonoko looked up at Gin with one of her usual smiles, a slight bump on her forehead, chuckling lightly and rubbing the red spot on her head. "I'm ok~. Guess I slipped on a little water, ehehe."

"Sonnochi." Sumi flat and muffled voice spoke up, drawing the attention of both her friends. The bowl on her face slid off, hitting the ground with the thud. The mass of circle shaped noodles affixed to her face soon followed suit after its container, leaving a few noodles stuck to her mouth. A scowl and menacing glare staining her face.

"So, how are the noodles, Wasshi-sensei~?" Sonoko asked, a _very_ subtle shakiness in her voice.

Sumi spat out the noodles stuck in her mouth.

Were she not quite familiar with how Sumi could get in situations like this, Gin would've been laughing at the hilarious display. As it was, the girl froze, despite not even being the subject of the raven-haired girl's ire.

"This is why you need to let the water drain before removing it from the sink." Sumi scolded, thoroughly unamused.

"Sorry~. I'll be more careful next time~."

Sumi sighed, her features relaxing slightly, before bending down to pick up the items on the floor. "Let's just get back to cooking, we're almost done, aren't we?"

Gin's eyes went wide at the current task being brought to the front of her mind again. With having left the food to sit still for a bit, there was the possibility some of it might've become burned on one side. "Ah, crap! The food!"

* * *

They'd had to redo some of the ingredients, but the group had finally managed to cook up some yakisoba on the second attempt without any further disasters. Sonoko had ended up doing more of the work on the second go around, she was getting wrapped up in the fun of cooking and eager to do more. It'd all gone pretty well the second time, aside from when Sumi had to reprimand her once for getting distracted by the sizzling of the pan. But, after much work, her first attempt at cooking had finally produced edible food and the moment of truth had come. Each of them now had a plate of food in front of them, hoping it tasted as good as it looked. Each took a mouthful of the Yakisoba. Finishing her's, Sonoko intensely starred at Gin and Sumi, waiting for any indication of their opinion on the food. She liked it well enough, but what she really wanted was the approval of her friends.

Gin's brow furrowed into a contemplative look for several seconds after eating her bite. "It's great!" The girl suddenly looked toward Sonoko with an approving thumbs up and cheeky grin.

"It's delicious, Sonnochi." Sumi, likewise giving a happy smile, added.

"Yahoo~!" Sonoko energetically threw her arms in the air with a shout of victory. Her first time cooking had, aside from dumping noodles on Sumi's face, been an amazing success. It'd been a fun bonding activity with her friends, she'd started learning a new skill, and it'd ended up some delicious food.

"I guess I was right on the field trip. Eating together really does make the food taste better." Reaching for more of the Yakisoba, Sumi commented with a cheerful look.

"It's even better then what we made then, cause we all cooked it together!" Gin agreed with a nod, taking another bite.

"The noodles kinda taste like Wasshi, too~."

Face twisting into an incredulous look, Sumi nearly spat out her food, recoiling just in time to swallow her current mouthful and avoid it ending up on the table. "W-w-what? W-w didn't even u-use the same noodles and washed the pan!" The girl stammered, trying to form words and completely caught off guard by Sonoko's comment.

Gin let out a hearty laugh at the absurd and completely out of left field comment. "I dunno. I think Sumi's stern attitude would ruin the flavor."

Sumi turned her attention toward Gin, looking thoroughly perplexed and a touch offended, trying to decide how she was possibly supposed to take a comment like that.

Without warning, Sonoko suddenly and playfully bit into Sumi's arm, electing a quick and small shriek from the girl. "S-Sonnochi!? I'm not food!"

"Hmmmm." Pulling back from her sudden taste of Sumi, Sonoko hummed in deep thought. "Yep~. Definitely tastes like Wasshi~."

Gin instantly fell out of her chair, howling with laughter.

Her friend's good mood infection, Sonoko started giggling at the situation. These were the moments she loved. Spending time with her friends having fun and being able to take a break from the worries of their duty. No Vertex coming to destroy the world, no life threatening battles, just being together with everyone. Sonoko was content.

* * *

"They should be getting here pretty soon, shouldn't they?" Gin commented while mashing away at the buttons on her controller.

After finishing their food, Sumi pointed out they still had some time before Negi and Fate arrived to demonstrate magic. Already at her house and figuring it best to stay where they'd told Negi they would be, the group decided to pass the remaining time playing at Sonoko's place. Gin was starting to feel a bit restless, having already asked if the time had arrived for the 4th time already.

"Gin…. We'll know when they arrive. It should be any minute now." Sumi replied back with a weary sigh, handling her controller much more delicately than the energetic tapping of Gin.

Gin glanced over from the screen toward her friend with barely contained excitement. "Come on, Sumi. Aren't you excited? It's _magic!_ We get to see how you use it while fighting, and it already did some amazing stuff. I wonder if they have any awesome attack names. There's _got_ to be some awesome attack names or a kind of secret finishing move with something like magic!"

"I bet there's magic words, like-" Sonoko began in a relaxed tone. " _-Abracadabra~!"_ The Hero deepened her voice as much as she couldn't and shot her arm forward dramatically, trying to do her best impression of the stereotypical image associated with using magic, that of an old wizard. Being she was only an 11 years old little girl, her attempts at changing her voice into that of an elderly man weren't terribly successful.

"Yeah, bet it's something like that." Gin snickered at the display. "But, hey. That reminds me." Pausing, the girl gave a sidelong glance toward Sumi, eying her with a cheeky look. "We never got to hear what _you'd_ want to do with magic." The groups musings on what they'd do with magical abilities yesterday had been interrupted by Sonoko…. Being Sonoko, before Sumi had gotten a chance to say anything. Naturally, it left Gin curious as to what her friend would do, considering their personality and demeanor. Surely, they'd have come up with something of interest.

Sumi looked up, a contemplative expression on her face while thinking about the various possibilities. "Well… I'm not sure if it's within their power, but considering what they were able to heal, I wonder if they have anything that might be able to protect against the virus outside the wall… Maybe we could see the outside world a bit… Even if we couldn't explore it much while the Vertex are around."

"That's a great idea! That's just what I'd expect from Sumi. We'll have to ask them about it sometime. I wanna see all the Innes across the world." Gin said with a nod. It made perfect sense for why Sumi wanted to see the outside world. After all, she'd said she wanted to be a historian when she got older. "Hey, speaking of those two. Do you think the-"

Sumi's expression shifted to a mild glare, silencing any further words Gin might've had.

Sonoko's phone started ringing, drawing everyone's attention. The blonde reached into her pocket and pulled it out, answering it. "Hey, hey~."

"Is that them?" Gin asked, leaning in with curiosity to try and hear anything from the call.

Sonoko gave a nod of confirmation before focusing back onto the conversation. "Yep, we're ready…. Out front? Alright, we'll meet you there~."

Sumi raised an eyebrow from the exchange after Sonoko hung up. "Why didn't he just ring the door?"

"It's Spring-san's friend, and he said he didn't want to waste time dealing with people who answered the door and weren't us~."

"… That definitely sounds like him." Gin commented with a disappointed sigh. She'd been hoping that Negi would've been the one to come along, maybe get a chance to talk to them a bit before the magic show happened. Negi was a much more sociable and generally pleasant person to be around when compared to Fate. She still needed to find out any of his interests to give ideas toward a gift.

After a quick announcement of leaving, the trio exited the house to see Fate standing outside the gate of Sonoko's house.

"Good afternoon." Fate's neutral voice greeted the girls, his tone and expression making it sound _thoroughly_ unwelcoming.

"Heeeeeeey~." Sonoko, undeterred by the greeting, replied with a friendly tone and smile.

"I trust you're prepared to leave?" Fate questioned.

All three girls nodded.

"Then we'll be leaving." Without any further delay, a gigantic, pitch black key materialized in Fate's hand. The only defining feature of it, was the globe sitting at the very tip of it, the features of it resembling Earth, but it oddly not perfectly. **"Relocate."**

It had been a long two days for Negi. He'd spent most of yesterday arguing with the Taisha, and then the majority of today setting up an immense number of wards and protection for the upcoming magical display. The Taisha had agreed to at least see a demonstration of magic before further considering the matter of allowing him to instruct the three Heroes. That was good. However, they had made no mention of picking up the Heroes to also witness this display. That was bad, considering he was handling transportation. As Negi had feared, it seemed like the Taisha were going to try and keep this under wraps as much as possible. He could understand their concerns; however, they weren't the ones on the battlefield risking their lives. Not one to be outdone, he'd sent Fate to pick up the Heroes, while he gathered the Taisha who'd come to witness the demonstration. The child had used an excuse that Fate would be a few minutes late, saying he had a few things to take cause of, such as his morning intake of several cups of the muddy water known as coffee. This wasn't exactly a lie either. Like him with tea, Fate always made it a point to have morning coffee. He even carried some of the grounds with him in a pocket dimension as an emergency! Though, Negi wasn't one to talk. He did the same with tea.

The location Negi had chosen for the display, after scouting much of the island as anywhere the Taisha offered had predictably been far too small, had been a remote area in Shikoku's more mountainous regions. He and Fate weren't going to go all out, that was far too dangerous and destructive, but even holding back and limiting themselves, it was easy to cause collateral damage. But, restricting the highest level of their magic and keeping it to a confined area of just a few hundred meters at most, meant that Fate could likely repair any damage they did. His specialty was Earth Magic, after all. To ensure the spectators could properly see the event and not need to stand during all of it, Negi had used his own Earth Magic to set up some chairs.

"Right. Everything's in place and the last of the wards are set up. Fate should be arriving any second now." Negi declared to the Taisha present.

One of the people present spoke up, the apparent highest ranking one here. Her outfit, compared to the otherwise identical ones everyone else wore, possessed a hood with green highlights, making her stand out. "Are you certain this is safe?" Her voice was that of a woman's, cautious and reserved.

"Absolutely." Negi replied with a nod. "I'll be happy to demonstrate just how secure all the barriers I've set up are, once Fate arrives. Which should be right now." Detecting energy on his magical senses, Negi glanced over to the side, seeing a brief flash of light, which soon faded to reveal Fate, Sonoko, Gin, and Sumi.

"Wooooooah. We really teleported~." Sonoko said, glancing around at the new surrounding leisurely with a curious face.

"Sonnochi, we're done this before with Forestization." Sumi added, though some of the surprise and wonder in her voice was quite clear.

"Hey, Aki-sensei's here!" Gin commented, looking at the masked woman.

In a rare display, some of the Taisha present visibly stiffened up in surprise at the sudden appearance of the Heroes, exchanging looks between each other.

"Hm? Is there a problem?" Negi asked with feigned ignorance. "Considering the location, I assumed Fate and I would be handling all transportation. As this is something that the Heroes might be learning in the future and help them in combat to avoid any more disasters, I assumed you would want them to see the demonstration to understand what they're working with, correct?" Negi finished, starring directly into the masked face of the apparent leader of the gathered group. There was a possibility this was tipping his hand a bit too early. Negi, being a kid, was often underestimated in multiple respects by people older than him who were unfamiliar with his history. It let him catch many opponents off guard in both physical combat and ploys like this, but it wasn't something he could rely on after the first time or two. After this, it wasn't likely he could so easily pull a fast one on the Taisha like this. On the other hand, this was still early into everything. If he got a stronger hold on matters early on, it'd make it much harder for the Taisha to try and maneuver things around to distance the Heroes from magic. Theoretically, Negi could just force the matter, as it didn't appear the Taisha had the strength to stop him, but he wasn't that kind of person. The world didn't work in a way where just because you have power, it meant you should constantly throw it around to get whatever you wanted. Negi still genuinely wanted to try and form a good relationship here.

Several seconds passed in awkward silence, the atmosphere and mind games obvious to most present. The tension rising with each moment of the stare off between Negi and the girl Gin had called Aki-sensei. "…. Continue." The older one finally spoke up. The declaration seemed to further surprise the remaining Taisha.

Inwardly and outwardly, Negi smiled at the victory. He'd have to remember this person. He doubted that the Heroes were solely self-taught, which when combined with the term Gin used and her apparent special rank in the Taisha, made Negi believe it was likely this was their combat teacher. It'd explain why they'd been sent to oversee something that might become a part of the Heroes' learning. He might have a better chance at reasoning with her than the other members as well. Being a teacher himself and having seen his own students put through dangerous situations, he could imagine she must've been just as concerned for the wellbeing of the girls as he had been for his own students. "Fantastic. Fate, let's prepare." Taking the skies, Negi floated a distance away from the group and into the confines of the invisible barrier he had set up, followed by Fate.

"Now." Negi began, projecting his voice with magic to ensure everyone heard him properly. "As some of you had concerns over safety, let me demonstrate that this barrier will keep everyone protected from any of the spells we use." Raising a hand and holding it off to the side, directed away from the crowd, Negi began chanting. _"Ra Tel Ma Scir Magister, Veniant spiritus aerialis fulgurientes! Cum fulguriationis flet tempestas austrina…"_ Energy started to swirl within Negi's hand, lightning crackled and danced across the air in arcs that formed a small storm, the wind intensified around him to those surpassing even the most powerful tornadoes, the power of the spell flowing directly into his hand, shaping itself to Negi's will and prepared to obey the command he gave its energy.

 _" **J**_ _ **ovis Tempestas Fulguriens**_ _!"_ An immense storm of lightning and wind exploded from Negi's palm in an instant, more intense and deafening than the greatest thunderstorms, fierce and destructive energy surpassing any tornado nature could possibly muster many times over, creating a surge of terrifying energy dozens of meters wide. Traveling with speed that matched its ferocity, the full might of Negi's spell slammed into his barrier, sending sparks of lightning and wind blasting in all directions against its walls, stretching over a hundred meters to encompass one end of the wall, struggling against the confines and just waiting to break out. But, the barrier refused to so much as budge as inch. It's defensive abilities surpassing even the storm's wrath. The barrier resolutely endured the onslaught of Negi's spells, before the destructive energy quickly started to fade away, vanishing completely in moments. The entire display, after Negi's chant, had only been several seconds at most.

Checking for audience reactions, Negi could see a variety of them. Even with their bulky clothes, Negi could see some of the Taisha were completely and utterly _terrified_ of what they'd just witnessed, a few of their hands shaking or gripping the chairs like their lives depended on it. While this was a strong spell and part of the point was to look flashy, this was a demonstration after all, there still existed an entire class of them which eclipsed this one, so he didn't consider it overly special. Still, perhaps he'd overdone it just a little bit…. On the other end, the Heroes reactions seemed generally more positive at least. Gin's smile was absolutely glowing, grinning ear to ear with excitement. Sonoko's mouth had shaped itself into an 'O' shape, surprised, but she also looked eager. Sumi seemed to be the least receptive of the three, the black-haired girl looking more shocked than anything else.

"That was amazing! I gotta learn how to do that!" Gin loudly shouted, unable to contain her growing enthusiasm.

"We're not done yet!" Negi shouted back. "There's plenty more to demonstrate." Grinning, he glanced over toward Fate. "Ready?"

Taking a combat stance, Fate nodded. Hands raised, one high near the head and the other held close to the waist, to perfectly guard all areas of his body, legs spaced apart to provide the best ability to respond to any attack and a strong form against being tripped up, his primary style of Ba Gua Zhang. The Averruncus form was flawless, the sign of someone clearly an experienced master at melee combat.

Mimicking Fate, Negi took a similar and equally perfect stance, the starting form patterned after various types of Chinese Kenpo Negi had learned, reflected in his opening stance. It'd been a long time since he and Fate had a chance to fight, not since the battle at the Grave Keeper's Palace had they dueled. Even if they couldn't fight to their fullest potential and the focus was more on demonstrating magic, Negi was still looking forward to this. "Then, let's begin!"

* * *

 **SPELL TRANSLATIONS:**

 **Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens:**

Latin: _Veniant spiritus aerialis fulgurientes! Cum fulguriationis flet tempestas austrina…_ _ **Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens!  
**_ English: _Come wind, thunder spirits. Don lightning and blow, storm of the South Seas **. Thunderous Gale!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:**

And here we are! Putting my notes here, since I'd rather not try to clutter the post chapter spell translations with 'em unless I absolutely must. Just a quick question here. There's some spells this chapter which didn't have their full incantations typed out for various reasons. It's generally just the beginning or end of it that's missing, so I wanted to know if the readers would prefer me to _only_ post the translations for the spoken parts, or if you'd like me to post the full translations for any spells used. At present, I'm just including only what was spoken.

* * *

Taking the initiative, Negi rushed forward, pulling his left hand back, his index and middle finger began to crackle with lightning.

"Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister, _Kενότητος_ _ἀ_ _στράπσατω_ _δ_ _ὲ_ _τεμέτω_ _."_ Abruptly, the child shifted to another language than he had previously incanted in. Latin was the primary language in which spells were cast, but the most powerful spells were often, not always, incanted in the even older language of Ancient Greek, a mark to distinguish them from all other magic into a category all of their own when it came to power.

" _ **Δίος τύκος!**_ _"_ Slicing downward, a furious explosion of lightning erupted into the air from Negi's fingertips mid-swing, the energy of the spell arcing in a path that followed his motions, descending toward Fate almost instantly. The area of its destruction and range may have been low, even when compared to spells far below the class it belonged too, but the sheer power and speed infused within the sparks of lightning eclipsed many flashier forms of magic.

The attack coming too quickly to dodge, Fate raised a hand, reinforcing his barrier just in time to intercept the spell, trails of lightning splitting in every direction from the point of impact.

Following his spell, Negi dashed along Fate's side, throwing a quick jab with his right arm, his blow batted away by his opponent's free limb. Before the Averruncus could counter himself, Negi slammed his left knee into their stomach, Fate's attempts at blocking with his own knee a moment too late, sending the other mage rocketing backwards with an explosive shockwave that shook the landscape.

Channeling water magic, an immense torrent of water began to take shape in the air between Negi and Fate, swirling together and condensing all its crushing power into a singular point for maximum potency directed right at Fate. The sheer volume of the water called forth by the spell, _Magna Cataracta,_ comparable to an entire lake, with its downward spiral resembling that of rushing waterfall.

But Fate was prepared, having recovered lightning quick and begun rapidly chanting his own counter in nearly the same moment Negi had formed his.

"Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit, _Bασιλισκ_ _ὲ_ _γαλεώτε_ _μετά_ _κ_ _ᾦ_ _κτ_ _ὼ_ _ποδ_ _ῶ_ _ν_ _καί_ _κα_ _κο_ _ῖ_ _ν_ _ὀ_ _μμάτοιν_ _!_ _τό_ _φ_ _ῶ_ _σ_ _ἐ_ _μ_ _ῇ_ _χειρί_ _καθίασ_ _τ_ _ῷ_ _κακ_ _ῷ_ _δέργματι_ _τοξευσάτω_ _!_ " A glow appeared around Fate's index finger, visually small and unimpressive, but radiating a staggering amount of magical energy that matched its spell class. **"** _ **Κακόν**_ _ **ὄ**_ _ **μμα**_ _ **πετρ**_ _ **ῶ**_ _ **σεως**_ _ **!"**_ Negi's torrential waterfall feet from impacting him, Fate swung downward, ejecting a thin beam of light from the tip of his finger, cutting through the attack without even a token of resistance and continuing its arc across the ground, carving apart the top of the mountain beneath them. But, its purpose and strength didn't lie within cutting power. Everything touched by the terrible beam of light, aside from the wards placed by Negi, immediately turned to stone. Even the enormous amount of water had been petrified as easily as the spell had sliced through, the stone crumbling and crashing toward the ground

"Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister-" Sidestepping the attack, Negi started prepared another one, only for his chanting to cease upon sensing Fate's presence behind him. Spinning, Negi raised his arm just in time to block Fate's fist, before trying to retaliate with his other limb, only to meet with no success and instead his opponent's own limb. Neither mage gave an inch in the following exchange, every strike executed virtually flawlessly and with all the skill of a master, not even so much as an inch of wasted movement in each blow. Matching their skill with power, with every collision of their attacks, shockwaves and explosions rocked the landscape with intense earthquakes.

Seeing potential to finally create an opening, Negi deflected a punch from Fate, sliding it off his forearm, before shifting his hand to grab onto the other's limb, pulling the Averruncus forward and off balance, and straight into his waiting elbow. Capitalizing on the attack being successful, Negi released Fate's arm and swung the limb he struck with outwards, rotating in the same direction to enhance the strike from his forearm, and knocking the other mage away from him.

Raising his hand, a sphere of ice started forming above his palm, rapidly swelling in size from that of a baseball, to an impressive 30 meters in diameter in merely a second, launching the large projectile at high speed the moment it finished forming. Its only properties being the sheer size, mass, and strength of the one throwing it, the move was comparatively a basic spell, but visually impressive and perfectly suited for showing off.

Materializing a small armory's worth of spears, Fate hurled them forward into a tight pattern, spaced apart just enough to make slipping between near impossible. The first wave of weapons easily pierced through the mass of ice before them like butter, forming cracks along its surface, which successive spears struck, causing the cracks to expand and finally shatter the sphere into small pieces in short order.

Diving downwards, Negi dodged several volleys of spears, the barrage coming in waves to ensure he couldn't stay still for long. However, just before he could dodge the last wave, Fate appeared at his side, swiftly striking the child directly in his stomach with a knee, preparing for another, much stronger blow with his free hand, while moving his other into position for a grab.

Negi knew he wasn't going to be able to intercept everything coming his direction, but he wasn't about to just let Fate's entire assault hit him without resistance. Realigning himself, Negi narrowly avoided Fate's grab, while letting their punch hit him dead-on and rolled with the momentum of it, rocketing him straight into the ground, causing earth to be violently be torn from the ground and thrown in every direction while he skidded over the land.

"… _Cum flore somniali sub caelo percurrant una tempestas-"_

Rising to his feet, Negi quickly chanted a barrier spell for use. He recognized the one Fate was using, being the one for _Veris Tempestas Florens,_ the earth and water version of the attack he'd used just before their spar officially begun.

However, instead of a surge of dirt and water, great pillars of earth rose up from the ground surrounding him, snaking their way through the air with incredibly speed right toward him.

Taking to the sky, Negi opted to store his defensive magic for later. Fate hadn't unleashed his chanted spell, which meant Negi now had to be cautious. A mage could use spells unchanted once familiar enough with them, but speaking the words anyway would further enhance its power far beyond normal. Combined with a mage's ability to 'delay" spells for a period of time, his opponent now had one of the stronger earth spells which could be called forth at a moment's notice.

Flying toward Fate, Negi began chanting mid movement, several orbs of light taking shape around his fist. Two could play at the game of delaying spells "Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister, _septingenti unus spiritus lucis, coeuntes sagitent inimicum-_ "

Fate met Negi midflight and chant, throwing a palm strike toward his torso.

Negi, using his free hand to deflect the blow away with his forearm, continue chanting, energy and power contained within the orbs of light swelling to their peak. "- _ **Sagitta Magica**_ _, Series Lucis!"_

Expecting to face a spell, Fate shot his other hand forward, calling forth the magic he had prepared earlier, at near point-blank. A surge of water and earth sprung from his palm, twisting together into a deadly beam that could've punched through a mountain.

Negi grinned, this had been exactly what he'd been hoping for. Opting to delay his current cast, the child instead countered with the barrier he had earlier prepared, blocking the wave a moment before it struck him. The torrent losing some of its form and breaking apart at the point of impact, a flood of water and dirt exploding around his sides. The intensity of the spell violently rocked the mountains encompassed within the barrier Negi set up before battle as a mere side effect, even without so much as physically making contact with the ground.

With great effort in refusing to budge an inch, the brunt of the attack absorbed by his defenses, Negi raised his other arm, the 701 magical arrows contained within the spheres surrounding him focusing into a single point, firing them outward in the same instant of lowering his barrier.

His spell drilled through Fate's now weakened attack, blasting the two other elements everywhere and striking the Averruncus squarely in the chest.

Launching forward the instant after his attack, Negi struck Fate's face with a swift elbow, readying his other arm to deliver a powerful jab to the torso.

Recovering fast, Fate stopped, twisted, and spun upside down, slamming his knee into Negi's face, stunning the other mage and knocking them back.

Refocusing, Negi saw his opponent throwing an elbow toward them with both hands pressed together to add further force.

Using one hand to intercept the attack, Negi pressed his second against the back of his palm to further reinforce his block at the moment of impact.

Still gripping Fate's elbow, Negi used his other hand to quickly jab at the other's face, meeting nothing but air as his enemy maneuvered their head to the side to avoid it.

Pressing his palm against Negi's stomach with his free hand, Fate unleashed _Flagrantia Rubicans_ , conjuring an intense blaze of fire. The air within over a dozen meters was immediately engulfed within a ball of flame, wind thrown up from the sudden explosion expanding the black cloud of smoke far beyond the explosion itself, and sending Negi recoiling backwards.

Though unable to see with his eyes on account of the smoke, Negi's magical perceptions remained unhindered, altering him to Fate's presence and a strike coming from directly within the smoke. The simple act of swinging his fist generating a shockwave that split the air and instantly blew away the haze into nothingness.

Maneuvering to the outside of the strike and Fate's guard, Negi countered with a jab at Fate's torso, infusing his fist directly with numerous _Sagitta Magica,_ strengthening the otherwise quick but weak blow tremendously, rocketing Negi's opponent diagonally toward the ground.

Following up with a burst of _Shundo_ to instantly catch up with Fate mid descent and before they could recover, Negi slammed his fist into Fate's torso once more, accelerating downward at an even faster pace.

After carrying his opponent for a moment in this manner and nearing the ground, Negi launched his fist forward, rocketing Fate into the mountain with a thunderous impact that scarred the landscape along the path Fate carved toward the edge of the battlefield. Immense masses of earth and greenery hurled in every direction, were they not vaporized from the force of the impact. Following in the wake of his blow, wind _Sagitta Magica_ arrows surged forth to act as binds against Fate. It'd barely slow him down at this level, but even just a fraction of a second more was all Negi would need.

It was about time to wrap up this display. They'd demonstrated several elements, the scale which it could be used, and the multiple different manners in which it could be directed. Negi had the perfect spell to top this all off with. One visually imposing, and possessing destructive strength just below those belonging to the peak of spellcasting.

"Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister, _Agite, tenebrae abyssi, ensis incendens! Et incendium caliginis umbrae inimicitiae destrunctionis ultionis!"_ Channeling magic, fire and shadow began swirling into Negi's palm. The normally blazing orange color of flames tainting and twisting themselves into a demonic black, waiting to be unleashed and burn all they touched to nothing.

" _Incendant et me et eum, sint solum incendentes!"_ Stretching his palm forward, the swelling energy within Negi's hand vanished, shifting instead to a large circle around Fate. The shadowfire shaping itself into a raging vortex encompassing its target, focused to 10 meters in diameter. Even with the magic's full destructive might yet to be unleashed, its power impacted the environment, stone and earth caught in the immediately vicinity of the inferno skipped melting, and flash vaporized outright.

This was it, Fate was just on the edge of recovering and fully dodging the spell wasn't likely. All he had to do was complete the incantation to finish this. **"Incendium- "**

A geyser of magma violently sprung from the ground beneath Negi, flooding the immediate area with stone and molten liquid.

Surprised and knocked off balance by the sudden surge, Negi lost focus on his spell, the firestorm around Fate quickly fading in turn.

Back stepping away from the lava, Negi sensed a smiling Fate charging straight toward him, surrounded by a circle of obsidian colored blades nearly the size of his whole being.

Quickly summoning up what defenses he could in such short notice, Negi's barrier met Fate's blades. The Averruncus swiped his hand horizontally, each sword perfectly following the movement, like it was an extension of his own limb. One sword after the other, spaced perfectly apart in their strikes as to provide no recovery time between each slash. Negi's barrier was starting to crack from the flurry. Rotating with his weapons and using them as cover, Fate transitioned into an earth shatteringly powerful kick, finally breaking Negi's defenses like glass, rocketing the child almost immediately to the other side of the barrier. The energy within was enormous, surpassing any of the strikes delivered before, shaking the landscape with an intensity surpassing any earthquake, splitting the air with a fiery explosion engulfing over half the battlefield, and blowing away much of the mountainside beneath them from the shockwave.

Slamming into the wall of his barrier, Negi immediately pried himself off the magical wall and prepared to counter, his mind racing. Until now, they had been holding back a decent bit in respect to their physical blows and energy put into spells, going all out would've risked far too much collateral damage and part of the point _wasn't_ to showcase the full upper extent of their abilities, just make it look flashy. But, just now, Fate had struck him with a _serious_ attack.

Further magnifying Negi's concerns to borderline panic, was what greeted his senses next. It wasn't the small swarm of swords Fate had encircled him with and were gradually closing it, no, it was something _**far**_ worse that made Negi's eyes shoot wide open.

"Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit, _pareat pactum quod servet mihi, Rex Inferni!"_ Gathering into a rune circle around Fate's fist, swelled a terrifying amount of magic. Still early in the casting, the energy of the spell had yet to be shaped into its proper form, leaving only the raw, unbridled energy as a prelude of the cataclysm to come. Power that surpassed nearly the entirety of the spells thrown in the duel thus far combined, power that was unrivaled by all but the absolute strongest ability within each respective element, power that could have flattened everything on the horizon. Fate was preparing to cast the strongest spell in his entire arsenal. _Tearing Earth_.

Paying no heed to the swords threatening to slice into him, Negi's mind raced into overdrive. Ordinarily, he'd have met Fate's challenge head on with his own ultimate spell, but now, his only goal was to stop this cast from being complete, and there was only one way to do that.

Focusing his magic, Negi shifted into _Raiten Taisou,_ physically transforming his body in an identical way to _Raiten Taisou II,_ but without the long hair resembling a lightning bolt _._ The form was outdated compared to his second one, but he could enter it in half the time and it suited what he needed right now.

Transforming into lightning, Negi dashed through the small gaps left by the obsidian swords, too small for a person, but perfectly sized for a living lightning bolt to snake between, rocketing directly toward Fate at blistering speed.

" _Inriget aestuaque, Deus Terrestris ruinae ardentis!"_ Fate had nearly completed his chant. The mass of energy now having taken the proper form of the spell. Immense amounts of lava and earth raged around Fate's hand, resembling an active volcano mere seconds away from erupting with all the power the mage could bring to bear. The ground trembled before the might being summoned, the air super-heated, much of the remaining foliage within the barrier suddenly ignited. Two more words and the most powerful earth spell would be unleashed

But Fate wasn't going to get the chance. Reaching his target, Negi's fist collided against Fate's face at the speed of lightning and with explosive force, silencing any further attempts at words and flinging them squarely against the edge of the barrier.

Not letting up, Negi shot forth, the air around him sparking with lightning an instant before he moved, grabbing onto and pressing Fate against the barrier with both hands. "Fate, that's enough!"

Fate started attempting to fight back, but at Negi's words, his struggling and expression quickly calmed, shifting to a flat expression and voice. "Negi-kun… I thought you were to refrain from using Magia Erebea. The point of this was to demonstrate magic they could one day use."

Stepping back and releasing Fate, Negi look at the other incredulously for a solid several seconds. "Didn't we _also_ agree we weren't going to go all out? Or did I mistake you chanting _Tearing Earth_ for some other spell?" Voice matching Fate's deadpan, the child fired back.

In a rare moment of losing any composure, Fate flinched. "It's been a long time since I've had any remotely serious battles…. I got caught up in the heat of the moment." He _almost_ sounded embarrassed.

Negi sighed wearily. He could understand it, Fate was just _created_ as strong as they were, having not even bothered to even dabble in training until recently. Unless the Averruncus was hiding some great secrets, Negi could only recall 3 other battles where they would've even remotely had to fight hard enough to have any fun with them during Fate's life, one of which he'd been part of, and it'd been the first time Fate had really _allowed_ himself to have fun that he knew of. "I understand this is still new for you, but let's try not to have _that_ happen again, Fate. We caused quite a bit of damage and trying to contain that spell would've been difficult."

Glancing over to the battlefield, both mages could see it looked like a warzone. A pool of lava sat in one area, over half the mountain was now on _fire_ , lines resembling mini valleys of carved out earth defaced its side, and then there had been the large portion of it blown away by Fate's assault at the end. The mountain was a disaster, but the extent of the damage wasn't totally beyond repairing with the assistance of magic, though it would certainly require some work.

"… Could you handle cleaning this up? I'm going to go and speak with everyone else. I'll call you over when it's time to bring them all home." Negi asked, shifting back into his normal state.

Fate wordlessly nodded, descending back toward the ground to begin repairing the destroyed landscape.

Meanwhile, Negi flew towards the audience of the magical display. He was feeling a bit worried about the potential reception. Until the last few moments, things had gone alright, nothing too overly showy, at least he'd thought, since they hadn't carved up the landscape too badly, and the earthquakes and shockwaves wouldn't be seriously felt outside the barrier. Then, Fate had set half the mountain on fire and blown most of the other half into oblivion as a _side effect_ of just two moves. The destruction would've been significantly wider spread if not for the barrier containing the battle. That probably wouldn't go over so well…

* * *

"… Did anyone see what happened at the end there?" Gin spoke up, her tone clearly excited, yet tainted with a touch of confusion.

"I blinked and missed it~." Sonoko's voice chimed in, her usual voice undercut with wonder.

"I didn't see anything either…" Sumi trailed off. It'd happened too fast to properly see. One second, Negi looked ready to cast a spell, the very next instant, several explosions, the land setting itself on fire, a burst of lightning, a jet of lava erupting, and a chunk of the mountain vanishing from existence all seemed to happen in the same moment.

Sumi wasn't sure what to make of this entire situation, a torrent of emotions spinning in her head. On the one hand, all the abilities displayed by the two were amazing, though it seemed hard to believe this was just a _demonstration_ and not a real battle. Who cut at each other with bladed weapons and tried to set each other on fire during _practice?_

Still, if she and her friends were to learn how to perform some of these techniques and diversify their skill sets… Maybe they'd be able to handle the Vertex far easier. Barriers could be used to defend against attacks from multiple directions, as what happened with last battle when Sonoko's shield perfectly blocked one angle, but couldn't cover anywhere else. Flying would provide a huge boost in agility and the Heroes ability to dodge. And then there was healing magic, which could've been the most helpful of all, as it was a power none of them possessed. Nothing needed to be said about their physical power either. When imagining how 'using magic in combat' would look, she wasn't expecting their fighting styles to involve melee combat and rearranging the landscape with punches.

On the other hand, there was the fact these abilities could be apparently freely taught and two people around her age had _trained_ to a level of power that looked like it eclipsed the strength bestowed on the Heroes by the gods. The gods themselves were obviously stronger than what power could be channeled into a normal person, such as herself, but it was still scary and a touch unsettling to think about. She couldn't forget about whatever languages the two used either. She didn't recognize them, but it certainly wasn't Japanese and sounded western to her. She needed to have a long talk with Negi about all this and clear up any lingering suspicions already.

"Well, I'd say that concludes the demonstration. Any questions?" Negi called out, landing in front of the group moments later.

"One." The voice the Heroes' teacher spoke up, her voice composed, guarded, cautious. "What happened at the end?"

"Ah, that." Negi began, smile and demeanor not faltering for a second. "Fate got a little caught up in the moment and put a bit more energy than he'd planned to in a spell. Sorry about that, but don't worry, it wasn't anything too dangerous that couldn't be handled. We can fix any damage done."

"I see…" Only having vocal cues to go off, it was hard to tell exactly what their teacher might've been thinking, but she didn't sound too convinced or approving, not that Sumi would've disagreed. The last second or the battle felt different compared to the rest.

"Is there anything else anyone would like to talk about? There's a lot involved in the magic we showed." Negi asked hopefully, glancing around the crowd for any potential interest.

Gin started opening her mouth.

"No, maybe later. We have much to discuss for now." Their teacher's voice abruptly cut Gin off, silencing any questions she'd want to ask.

Sumi herself was feeling curious about how this magic worked, like why did they seem to chant some spells and not others? However, if their instructor made it clear no more questions for now, she would respect their authority. She'd probably have more chances later anyway.

Negi's mouth briefly curved into a small frown, sounding a touch disappointed. "Alright, I suppose it's about time to bring everyone home, then." Glancing toward where a battle had occurred moments ago, the land looking in significantly better shape already, namely no longer being on fire, they called out. "Fate! Can you please come here for a moment?"

Moving from his current task, the Averruncus flew over to the group, landing beside Negi.

"They're better at teleporting groups to multiple locations than I am. Everyone ready?"

Several nods answered the child's question.

"Good. Contact me sometime when you want to discuss this more. I know you have a lot to talk about, but there's more I'd like to say as well sometime. I'll be helping take care of repairing the landscape for now, though. Fate, if you would?" Negi finished, glancing toward Fate expectantly.

Stretching out his hand, Fate wordlessly summoned forth the same black key he had earlier, gripping it tightly in his hand. **"Relocate."**

A bright light consumed Sumi's vision.

* * *

When her vision returned to normal, Sumi saw that she was standing outside Sonoko's house, standing exactly in the same spot as before they'd left, Sonoko and Gin standing beside her.  
"That was awesome! I didn't think fighting with magic was going to look like _that!_ " Gin shouted, speaking up first and with one of the widest grins on her face Sumi had ever seen. All the energy and enthusiasm she'd been holding in rushing out. "We _have_ to learn how to do that stuff. When do you think we'll get to start practicing?"

"Well, the Taisha still have to think it over and we need to keep up with the Hero training we've fallen behind on." Sumi replied.

"What's the problem? We'll deal with the Vertex, no problem if we can learn how to shoot a storm out of our hands!" Gin's energy refused to be curbed.

"It's important to make sure it's safe. They _said_ was a demonstration…. But it looked dangerous." Sumi answered, sounding worried and looking unsure. Come to think of it, neither Negi or Fate looked like they'd even suffered any damage, actually. Considering the kind of forces and weapons that were being thrown around, she'd been half worried one of them was going to die. Yet, both were fine as before they'd even begun the fight.

"Come on, they were fine, so they should have something to make sure training is safe. They got healing magic anyway." Gin fired back dismissively, still smiling. Gin was clearly enamored with the idea of magic, and once the girl set her mind to something, she could be a bit stubborn. She had a rather straight forward way of living.

"Maybe, but that's no excuse to start getting reckless. They used live weapons." There was a reason why some of their training involved dodging pitching machine throws and not swords, despite what they fought being infinitely more dangerous than a few balls. She could understand wanting to train hard to keep your friends safe, it was something that motivated her, but the former didn't carry a risk of maiming yourself in mere practice, leaving you crippled when the time to fight actually came. Their healing abilities seemed quite extensive, but that didn't mean you pushed your luck. She didn't like the idea of putting her friends in harm's way if it could be helped.

"Hey, it's getting kinda late. How about we have a sleepover at my house to talk more~?" Sonoko chimed in, eyes and smile looking hopeful. The sun had nearly set, streaking the sky with waves of fading orange as the remnants of daytime were on their way out.

Sumi shook her head, a mild frown on her face. "That sounds fun…. But we have school tomorrow."

"Eh?" Sonoko tilted her head in confusion. "But the Vertex attacked just a few days ago. We should have a little more time off, right~?"

Once more, Sumi shook her head. Whenever the Vertex attacked, they usually got some time off to rest and recover, since the group often sustained some injuries in the line of duty, if not as severe as the most recent one. "We had our wounds healed by magic and the Taisha even said we're fine. There's no excuse not to show up for school tomorrow."

The color immediately started draining from Gin's face at the reasoning provided by Sumi, her voice turning nervous. "Say, uh, if we have to go to class, they'll excuse us for homework, right…?"

Sumi answered Gin with a disapproving and stern stare. They'd had almost nothing to do over the weekend, but leaving it to last minute wasn't a good idea on principle and the other wasn't the most academically gifted. "Gin…."

"Uh-oh, Mino-san forgot~."

"H-hey, it's been a really busy weekend ok! You forgot we were going tomorrow too, Sonoko!" Cheeks turning a light red, Gin stammered.

"But I did my homework earlier today~." Completely unphased, the blonde answered back with a casual smile.

"Arg! Am I the only one then?!" Gin put her hands to her head, scratching her scalp in frustration. "I gotta get home and finish it!" Wasting no more time, Gin immediately started rushing in the direction of her house.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" The retreating form of the girl called back, turning to face her friends and wave before focusing her attention on the run to her home.

Waving goodbye to Gin, alongside Sonoko, Sumi focused her attention onto their remaining friend once Gin's form faded. "I guess I'll be heading home then. See you tomorrow, Sonnochi."

"Bye Wasshi, thanks for showing me how to cook~. I'll make you and Mino-san something good next time we cook on a field trip, ok~?" Sonoko declared with a cheerful and energetic grin.

"I'll be looking forward to it." Already making her way toward her home, Sumi said with a satisfied smile while waving back to her friend.

She still couldn't help the worries and concerns about making floating inside her mind, but it seemed like all she could do right now would be wait and see what the Taisha decided. She wondered what next week might bring in respect to that, but no matter what happened, at least she'd have her friends with her to face it.

* * *

 **Spell Chant Translations**

 **Dios Tukos  
** Ancient Greek: _Κενότητος_ _ἀ_ _στράπσατω_ _δ_ _ὲ_ _τεμέτω_ _._ _ **Δίος τύκος!  
**_ English: _Come from the void, oh thunder, and cut down my enemy!_ _ **Axe of the Lightning God!**_

 **Magna Cataracta** (Unchanted)  
Engish Name: _Great Waterfall_

 **Kakon Omma Petrôseôs  
** Ancient Greek: _Βασιλισκ_ _ὲ_ _γαλεώτε_ _μετά_ _κ_ _ᾦ_ _κτ_ _ὼ_ _ποδ_ _ῶ_ _ν_ _καί_ _κακο_ _ῖ_ _ν_ _ὀ_ _μμάτοιν_ _!_ _τό_ _φ_ _ῶ_ _σ_ _ἐ_ _μ_ _ῇ_ _χειρί_ _καθίασ_ _τ_ _ῷ_ _κακ_ _ῷ_ _δέργματι_ _τοξευσάτω_ _!_ _ **Κακόν**_ _ **ὄ**_ _ **μμα**_ _ **πετρ**_ _ **ῶ**_ _ **σεως**_  
English: _Basilisk, lizard with eight legs and evil eyes! Light paced into my hand, shoot forth the evil look!_ _ **Evil Eye of Petrification!**_

 **Veris Tempestas Florens** (Chant Incomplete)  
Latin: ... C _um flore somniali sub caelo percurrant una tempestas._  
English: ... _Under the blue sky with dreaming flowers comes a storm._

 **Sagitta Magica:  
** Latin: _septingenti unus spiritus lucis, coeuntes sagitent inimicum!_ _ **Sagitta Magica**_ _, Series Lucis!  
_ English: 701 _spirits of light, strike my enemy!_ _ **Magic Arrows**_ _, Series of Lights!_

 **Flagrantia Rubicans** (Unchanted)  
English Name: Red Blaze

 **Incendium Gehennae**  
Latin: _Agite, tenebrae abyssi, ensis incendens! Et incendium caliginis umbrae inimicitiae destrunctionis ultionis! Incendant et me et eum, sint solum incendentes!_ _ **Incendium-**_  
English: _Come, darkness of the abyss, burning sword! And the Conflagration of Mist, Shadows, Enmity, Destruction, and Vengeance! Set he and I aflame, burning to our very foundation!_ _ **Hellfire-**_

 **Terra Findens** (Chant Incomplete)  
Latin: _Pareat pactum quod servet mihi, Rex Inferni! (...) Inriget aestuaque, Deus Terrestris ruinae ardentis!  
_ English: _Heed the contract and serve me, oh King of Hades! (...) Seethe and surge forth, Earth God of burning ruination!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes**

And slight delay for chapter 6, but it's here! I, unfortunately, have some possible bad news about future updates. Might be getting some new work soon that's going to keep me pretty busy, so I might not be able to update as consistently for a bit. Chapter 7 might still come out around the regular schedule, depending on a few things. I say MIGHT, since things are a little up in the air. However, on the chance they do go through, I wouldn't want to keep people waiting an eternity for an update or make a small one and then disappoint people when it's not a chapter, but just a notice saying what I am now. I don't like it when that happens, and I don't think most people do either. As always, any feedback appreciated.

* * *

Dark gray clouds blanketed the skies over Sakaide, casting a dull atmosphere across the landscape. The forecasted rain had yet to begin falling, but a torrent seemed ready to start spraying the house walls any minute now.

Negi sighed to himself. Yesterday could've gone better, that's for certain. He didn't think, aside from what happened at the end, things were that out of question for what some upper level mages could do in terms of showiness, some mobile and silent casting aside. That kind of fighting was more or less what Negi had become accustomed to since he was far weaker than he'd been now, and it'd been the kind of training he'd come to expect at mid-level and up. Besides, it was easier to impress with the more flashy spells than all the focused ones if you couldn't sense magic. From the kind of energy he sensed from the three Heroes, they felt decently strong, nowhere near the same level as he and Fate, but still above your average high class mage. On the other hand, the fact his teachers had mainly been Evangeline and Jack Rakan, along with the sheer pace he advanced at and situations he'd been thrown into before even reaching double digit age, meant that perhaps his idea of normal practice had become a bit ruined…

At least the Taisha hadn't kicked them out of their lodgings yet. Though, perhaps that was because they were too scared to try anything or were planning something, as there'd been no attempts to contact him or Fate since yesterday. He would've liked to believe it was just having a lot to discuss, but if they didn't do anything soon, he'd have to try reaching out to the group and clear the air a bit. However, he didn't exactly have anything to contact them with aside from barging up to their door, something that likely wasn't the best idea. Best give them a little time anyway. Besides, there was a matter that needed to be taken care of first, one that the child had been too busy to manage between setting everything up for the last two days.

It was time to do some shopping. Negi only carried so many spare ingredients for tea on his person at once, and those were about to run out, plus it wouldn't hurt to pick up a couple additional things if they were going to be staying here for any length of time. Spending money wasn't going to be much of an issue, given he carried a sizable amount of cash on him, as he was the CEO for the company behind the Blue Mars Project. It'd be enough for now and until the current situation with the Taisha could be resolved hopefully. There was the fact this place, while still using Yen, had changed the appearance of it, but it was nothing he couldn't fix with a little magic. The bills he carried were also still real Yen, so using magic to change their looks wasn't _technically_ going to be counterfeiting, and he only planned on purchasing a few inexpensive things for now, so it wouldn't cause any problems on an economic level, right? Regardless, even with his self-assurances, this didn't feel _exactly_ right to Negi. It wasn't like he had too much of a choice, though. This was a matter that was supposed to be discussed in more depth after the magical demonstration with the Taisha, but that subject was going nowhere fast.

"Fate, I'll be heading out to pick up a few things, anything you want?" Negi, standing near the room's exit, asked, glancing toward the Averruncus currently seated and looking through more information on a phone with one hand, a glass cup forged with magic and filled with coffee in the other.

"Coffee. You should know exactly the kind I want." Fate replied, setting down his cup to pull out some money, tossing it through the air toward Negi, not looking up from his research the entire time. "Here, so I know you won't buy something bland with your own money."

"Thanks…."The child dryly remarked. Though, Negi wasn't going to complain that much. Buying the muddy water for _Fate,_ with his own money, would've made the mage feel unclean.

"In the meantime, I'll begin experimenting on methods to return and see about handling the financial situation. Someone should be willing to pay a decent amount of this land's currency for Christian Era money."

Negi started opening his mouth, but Fate raised a hand to silence him, this time turning to look at the red-haired child before speaking in a matter-of-fact manner. "I would rather not give the Taisha any leverage over us if possible. Secondly, in the event complications in our stay do come up after yesterday, we best be prepared on all our bases, and I know you would have less moral objections to this, than shifting everything into this world's currency."

Negi closed his mouth, sighing. Fate had a point there. They _were_ actually from 2004, compared to the almost 300 years later of this time, so it wasn't like it would be conning anyone. "Alright, just don't ask for too much."

Fate nodded, shifting his attention back toward research.

Current matters concluded, Negi materialized an umbrella using illusion magic, heading outside. This way, if a downpour started, he'd avoid some odd stares wondering how a child stayed dry or was even walking out _in_ the rain without some kind of conventional protection. The mage briefly considered using the age deceiving pills to look older and avoid any odd looks of why a kid his age was out during school hours all together, but decided against it. Those were in very limited supply and he was used to managing topics like that by this point. Besides, this would be a short outing and he'd hopefully be home before it started.

* * *

Today was off to a bad start for Gin Minowa. Firstly, she'd forgotten about the fact it was going to rain today, and left the house without an umbrella, before it'd started. Of course, given her luck, the rain begun when she'd gotten _just_ far enough from her house that going back would've certainly made her late to class. Sure, that was almost normal by now, but it wasn't for lack of trying, dammit! Thankfully, the downpour was somewhat light, but still, she was starting to get a bit wet and would probably be fairly drenched by the time she arrived at school.

Secondly, she'd tried rushing to her school in order to avoid being soaked, but that'd just ended in a fall that'd just gotten her clothes even _more_ water logged and a scrape on her knee. That left walking the only option, which just further upped the odds of being late.

And _now,_ she'd come across a knocked over bicycle at a bike rake. The sight raised the question of 'who rides a bike in weather like this?' in her mind, but she couldn't just ignore it. Walking over to the downed transportation, Gin crouched down, picking up the bike and setting it back standing up.

Oddly, she felt the rain pouring on her suddenly stop, making the girl glance up and see that some invisible force appeared to be deflecting away the drops of water, inches from her head.

"Hello, Minowa-san."

Turning around, Gin saw Negi, holding a black umbrella and dressed in the same outfit as always, approaching her. "Oh, hey Negi-san!" She greeted warmly with a smile. "Thanks for stopping the rain, that was you, right?"

"Correct. What are you doing out in this weather without an umbrella or raincoat anyway?" Negi asked, looking over her with a concerned voice and expression.

"Wait." The child suddenly interjected, cutting off Gin's attempts at replying. "Before that, could you hold out your leg for a moment. I'll take care of that."

Gin raised an eyebrow, briefly perplexed over the request, until she glanced down at the limb in question and remembered about the scrape from her earlier. It was such a minor thing compared to the kind of injuries she'd taken before, even discounting the boosted pain tolerance transforming provided, Gin barely acknowledged it. "Oh, uh, sure. Thanks." Slightly extending her leg, Gin said. She really had to learn magic sometime and stop making Negi do this.

Walking up to Gin till his umbrella covered the air above both of them, Negi crouched down, holding it over the injury. Not even a second later, the wound knitted itself together, looking good as new. "There. Now, about my earlier question…." Standing back up, the child looked toward Gin expectantly.

"I, er, forgot to bring something." This earned a questioning look from Negi. "It wasn't raining when I left!" Gin quickly added in her defense.

"If that's the case, how about I walk the rest of the way with you to school then?" Negi casually suggested. "That's where you were headed, right? I could probably do something about your clothes on the way." The child finished, gesturing to Gin's currently damp school uniform.

"It's fine. You've probably got your own stuff to worry about." Gin replied dismissively, shaking her head. It was one thing to just take a second to fix a small scratch, it was another to ask the mage to go with her all the way to school. It might've been a bit weird, given how much she tried to help people and didn't ask for anything, but Gin was bad about just accepting free help for _herself_. She didn't like imposing on other to help her so much without paying them back somehow.

"Don't worry about it, it's really no trouble." Negi replied, not skipping a single beat or his usual smile fading in the slightest. "I can't, in good conscious, just leave you here in the rain like this. Besides, I was planning to look around the place and get to know the area better anyway."

"Hmmm…" Gin frowned, crossing her arms and closing her eyes to think. She hadn't even gotten a chance to do something to show thanks for saving her life a few days ago, and now he was offering help once again, which just made her feel worse. Still, not having to deal with wet clothes also sounded nice…

A thought suddenly stuck Gin. Negi said he was planning to look around anyway, maybe she could show him around town a bit? Once the weather was better, of course. That felt like a decent way to start repaying him. Yeah, that could work and make her worry a bit less about getting walked to school. "Alright, come on." Gin relented, turning and taking a few steps back onto her school path, Negi following her. Immediately, she felt the chill of the outside air, being replaced by a gentle and warm breeze, her clothes and hair slowly starting to dry in response. If she closed her eyes, Gin could've almost forgotten she was outside and not in a heated room.

"Better?" Negi questioned, looking over at her.

"Yeah, thanks." Grinning, Gin replied back. "Wait." Her expression slowly shifted toward a curious one, eying Negi up and down, taking note of the lack of a school uniform. "Don't you have school to do or something too?" She'd have assumed the Taisha would've set them up somewhere, considering the boy looked around the same age at her.

"I said I was already a teacher, remember?" The child replied in a tone that made the idea of a pre-teen teacher sound like a completely mundane occurrence.

"Oh, right!" Gin said, eyes growing wide when she remembered the fact. They'd barely had any time to process it before switching subjects a few days ago, she'd forgotten between everything else. She hadn't really gotten a chance to talk with Negi and really get to know them on account of how eventful it'd been, but now seemed like a good time to talk a little. "You said you'd tell me about that later, right? Come on, how did _that_ happen?"

"Well, after someone finishes their magical schooling, they're given an assignment to complete. Think of it somewhat like a final exam for seeing how you'll manage in the mundane world. A friend of mine had their's be becoming a fortune teller. While mine was to become a teacher. I taught middle school." Negi said, smiling at the memories of the past evoked by the discussion. "Oh, and don't worry about discussing this, nobody will hear us with a little magic I applied."

"Huh… Being a teacher sounds hard, but when you put it like that..." Gin wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting in terms of answers, but she hadn't thought that the reason would sound so _mundane_ , just being compared to an exam, considering how fantastic almost all the other displays of magic had been _._ The Hero attempted to imagine herself teaching a class filled with people older than she was and immediately felt some creeping doubts, considering the scolding her, Sumi, and Sonoko had gotten over the Kokubo Kamen incident, and that'd been with students quite a bit younger than her! She was used to managing little kids, given her brothers, but older ones were a whole different matter.

"What kind of stuff do they teach at a magic school anyway?" Gin asked, an eager and excited smile on her face, eyes filled with curiosity, maybe it'd be a more interesting subject. After everything she'd seen Negi and Fate do, especially after yesterday, her expectations were sky high.

"If you're curious about yesterday, they actually don't teach too much combat magic as a standard. Most of what I learned in terms of fighting was after I left."

Gin looked at Negi and blinked, again given pause by an unexpected answer. Though, thinking on it, she guessed it made sense. Maybe Negi was just one of those prodigies and messed a bit with her first impression on magic? If they ended up managing to be a teacher, then it made sense they'd pick up magic quickly.

"Most of what a mage learns is meant to help with general, everyday life and others. Magic is important to be kept secret, but a mage should still try to help whoever they can." Negi finished.

Before Gin could think any further on the subject matter, a loud thud and several smaller noises assaulted her ears.

"…. Like the person who just fell."

Following Negi's gaze, Gin saw someone had indeed slipped and fallen, dropping a few small bags that likely came from a nearby store. Well, if she was going to have the bad luck of running into this stuff often, at least it put her into a position to help people, so it wasn't so bad.

* * *

"…. This really happens that often?" Negi curiously asked, starring at Gin with a sympathetic and slightly worried look.

"Yep. Just can't help running into trouble and bad luck." Gin casually replied with a soft sigh. She wasn't terribly bothered by it. She'd mostly been able to come to terms with the kind of luck she had, but didn't make the fact it was a contributor to her being late for stuff so often, any less annoying. At least her clothes were dry now.

After she and Negi had helped the person they'd run across, the two had run into a few more incidents, such as someone's umbrella getting blown away and intercepting it before it flew into the street, and a car nearly splashing a ton of water onto them. Between the incidents, they'd only had a little bit of time to talk, before Negi commented on the string of incidents.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone cursed you."

"Sure doesn't help getting to class on time," Gin sighed. The words sent a suddenly jolt up a spine when remembering that she'd forgotten to check the time lately. She usually checked it now and again as an additional reminder to hurry, as she usually ended up being late to things, but between talking with Negi, she'd gotten a bit side tracked.

"How many times have you been late this school year…?" Concerned expression intensifying, Negi asked.

"Er…." Gin, reaching for her phone, trailed off and paused mid motion, trying to recount exactly how many times they'd been late. She'd honestly stopped counting at some point.

Negi deeply sighed. "Minowa-san…."

"It's not for lack of trying, alright!" Gin shot back defensively. "Things just kinda… Happen!" The girl briefly turned her attention away from Negi to check her phone and what she saw made her heart sink into her stomach and stop dead in her tracks, face turning to panic. School was going to be starting soon and if she ran as fast as she could, maybe, _just maybe,_ she'd be able to make it on time. But, with the rain out, running could've easily made her trip and fall again. But, at this rate, Gin was possibly going to be later than she'd ever been if she just walked there.

"Are you alright?" Noticing the shift in expression, Negi asked, leaning toward her.

"Crap! I'm going to be late!" Desperate to make it to class, Gin started running off like a rocket.

"Wait."

But, she only got as far as a single step, before Negi grabbed onto her wrist, nearly making her fall over from the sudden, immovable weight that'd attached itself to her limb. Damn, he was strong.

"Ah, sorry about that." Negi apologetically added, releasing his grip on Gin's wrist, now that she'd stopped. "But let me help."

Quickly turning to face Negi, Gin starred at him with worried expression. "I-it's fine! My clothes are dry now, so it won't be too bad even if I run and fall again!" Almost on reflex, Gin replied to avoid imposing on Negi yet again.

The mage shook his head. "As a teacher who's had their own class, I can't just sit by and let someone be late for their own education. Besides, this won't take more than a minute."

Gin let out a soft whine, but otherwise forced down any further arguments. She didn't really have much time to protest at this rate and Negi seemed insistent on continuing to get her out of the current mess, and if she refused it again, he'd probably just end up worrying about her. She didn't like making other's worry about her either, so the best option seemed to be going with it. "Alright, fine. If it's really not gonna be any trouble…"

"Follow me, I have an idea, but we'll have to go somewhere a little more discreet." Negi continued, glancing around pointedly, before he started walking, expecting Gin to follow.

Not having any other options and the possibility of being on time hanging in front of her, Gin followed after the mage. She could fully dispel her nerves about being late, but after everything she'd seen Negi do, ensuring she'd make it to class seemed like a trivial matter. The thought helped calm her a touch.

Quickly, Negi led Gin to an isolated spot, situated between two buildings and away from any prying eyes roaming the streets.

"Right, so, what's the plan?" Gin asked, attempting to keep her voice in line with her usual tone, but she couldn't fully keep out the undercut of concern in it. She'd definitely get scolded if she was as late as she'd be without Negi to work some magic.

"Easy, we'll teleport there." Negi answered in the same matter he'd describe the weather, as if it were nothing special. "However, I'm not the most experienced with this, so I can't just send people where I want, I still need physical contact and to bring them with me." The child reached out his hand expectantly. "Here, take my hand and think about your school, what the outside looks like."

Oh, teleporting certain made sense. If they could just go from here to her school, not only was she going to be on time, Gin would actually be _early._ She almost couldn't wrap her head around it, as she had difficulties arriving on time, let alone before class started. Hope renewed, Gin took Negi's hand with her own, starting to think of her school building.

She hadn't really been _expecting_ anything when she took his hand, but the feeling of it drew Gin's attention. This didn't feel like what she thought a boy's hand would, especially one who apparently knew how to fight as well as Negi did. It was a grip gentle, but firm enough to get a good feeling of every inch. Gin would've expected more rough and hard skin, considering that even her hands and those of her fellow Heroes were a bit calloused in places, given all their training and battles. Instead, Negi's skin held an odd smoothness to it, as if it were a complete and total stranger to any rigorous tasks that might stress it. Did he use more magic to get this or something? Actually, come to think of it, Gin hadn't held a boy's hand like this before outside of her own family and the occasional lost child more than half her age.

"Minowa-san."

Negi's voice immediately snapped Gin out of her thoughts and back to reality, turning her attention back to the other's face.

"There's a story to that, but I need you to be thinking of your school and not what my hand feels like." Negi said with an awkward tone and uncomfortable smile.

"Er, I-" Gin stuttered out, feeling her face immediately start heating up and cheeks flushing with embarrassment. The _hell_ had she been doing? And he'd caught her getting distracted like that too! This was humiliating.

"S-sorry. It's, uh, Shinju-kan!" Gin managed out, trying to focus her thoughts back the school and prevent herself from getting too flustered. At least nobody else was around to see this, that helped matters somewhat, but she was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about this situation now. She couldn't think about that, though, she had to focus on her school, just the building, nothing else.

"Hmmm…" Negi closed his eyes in thought, near silence briefly descending upon the area, broken only by the soft impact of the rain on the landscape.

"Alright, I think I've got it." Face shifting into a genuine smile, Negi spoke up after a few seconds. A small orb of light materialized into existence an instant later, casting a shadow onto the building's wall. "It's going to be a bit different from Fate's, so trust me, alright?" Delaying no further, Negi took his umbrella back in hand and started walking straight toward the shadow, his arm seeming to just sink right into the wall.

She certainly hadn't been expecting this, but after everything with the Vertex and the magic she'd seen the last few days, it wasn't as shocking as it could've been. Following along, Gin stepped into the shadow.

* * *

Blinking a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing things, Gin observed that she'd indeed ended up just outside the entrance to her school. The dull gray and large, steel fence and gate behind them and serving as the school's entrance, opening up to a thin and short road which lead to the building they were currently in front of, the path flanked on both sides by various trees and bushes, with the building itself matching the color of the fence and standing an imposing many stories high in a rectangle shape, it's design and that of the surrounding area's giving the whole place an upper-class feeling.

Turning around, the Hero starred intensely at the wall she and Negi had apparently just used to appear outside her school, looking completely and utterly normal by all standards. Curious, Gin reached up her hand and pressed it against the wall, half expecting to fall through it again, but no, it refused to budge an inch.

"Seriously, you have to show me how to do that." Gin spoke up, looking at the building side like it was one of the most interesting objects in the world, taking nearly all her focus. If she learned how to teleport, then she wouldn't ever have to worry about being late to anything again, and Gin could stop stressing Sumi so much over it.

"Maybe someday, but teleportation takes a while to learn how to do." Negi's voice came from behind Gin.

"How hard can it be? You make it look easy and we look about the same age." Gin shifted her gaze back toward Negi, expression changing into a confident grin. "I'm a Hero of the Shinju-sama, I'll pick it up in no time!" Expression softening slightly in a smile, the girl continued. "Anyway, thanks. I'll show you around a bit sometime. I know just the place to go."

The day had started out chaotic, but things improved pretty quickly, and she'd made it to school. On time no less! And still holding Negi's hand.

Gin's entire body stiffened. Wait a minute, she was standing in front of her school, her school where people were still arriving, with a boy her age, under the same umbrella in the rain, smiling and holding hands. If someone saw this, it was going to look really bad out of context!

"Hey, Mino-san~."

Gin instantly felt every bit of warmth in her body evaporate, turning her blood into ice. Perhaps the _worst_ possible person had seen this.

Whipping her head around, the axe user saw the terrifying image of Sonoko, standing there with an umbrella and her phone raised in the perfect position to take a picture, a barely restrained smile visible on her face, behind the edges of the phone.

Sonoko leisurely started humming. "I didn't think Mino-san would fall for someone so suddenly like this…" the blonde trailed off, tilting her head to the side and expression shifting to a contemplative look. "Oh!" Her features suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree, radiating life. "Is this what they call a rescue romance~? This is nice too. I can use that, it explains everything~." Sonoko already seemed to be drifting into her own world. "This set up is a perfect too, standing out in the rain under the same umbrella, holding hands…. It's pretty romantic~."

Gin felt the blush on her face and urge to scream rapidly rising with every passing word her friend spoke. "S-S-Sonoko! What the hell!?" the Hero barely stuttered out. Just realizing the situation was more than enough to start flustering her, she didn't need Sonoko to start pointing it out and potentially using it as fuel for her novels. "I-it's nothing!" Frantically waving her hands in front of her like some kind of shield, Gin tried to defend herself.

"Er, um, Nogi-san." Negi said, also visibly becoming a bit embarrassed, though controlling it far better than Gin was, weakly raising a hand in protest, light blush appearing on his face. "There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this…." He almost sounded resigned, somewhat _used_ to this, even.

"Y-yeah. He was just coming with me to help get to school on time!" Only after these words escaped her mouth, did Gin realize they weren't going to help things when dealing with Sonoko.

"Oh, walking to school together, that's good too~." Sonoko starred at the pair intensely, the usual light shining in her eyes whenever she started formulating her novels idea not dulling for an instant. "Someone caring and able to help Mino-san's sense of time is a good match for her~."

Gin's entire face turned a color that perfectly matched that of a boiled lobster.

"L-let me explain," Negi stammered, Sonoko's comments finally starting to get to him. Taking a quick breath to regain his composure, Negi started to form a reply, only to stop and close his mouth a moment later. "Actually… I can sense there's some more students coming and I should leave before they start asking questions too. I'll have to let Minowa-san explain."

Gin looked toward Negi with an expression of pure horror. Was he actually going to leave her alone in this situation?! On the one hand, yes, it'd be a good thing if he left before anyone else saw them. Sonoko was bad enough, she really did not need any rumors starting up. On the other hand, this meant she was going to be left alone with Sonoko in full writer mode. She wasn't sure which was worse.

"Sorry, Minowa-san. If it's still raining after school, I'll check if you need anyone to walk you home. I'll also be available if you need any help arriving on time for the rest of the week." Negi shot Gin a sympathetic look, walking back toward the wall they'd entered the area from in the first place muttering a few words to use the spell.

Did Negi not know the can of worms he was unleashing by saying something like that in front of Sonoko? "W-wait a se-"

But, too late, Negi had vanished into the side of the building, leaving Gin standing there with an outstretched hand and the beast that was Sonoko in her current state.

"So~", Sonoko's casual and cheery voice, instead sounding like a terrifying monster against Gin's ears now, spoke up. _"Tell me all about this~._


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes:**

Whew, quite overdue on this update aren't I? Apologize for the delay, but I've been busy with life and the center part of my state getting set on fire a little bit ago. I'm, unfortunately, not going to back to regular updates yet, but I do have some good news. I got a beta for the story now, thanks to MahouShoujoNeko for doing so. Only the first chapter and this one have been beta'd and updated at the moment. The remaining ones will go up in the near future. It's primarily just polishing and grammar error, so if you've already read them, I wouldn't say going back and re-reading is required.

Secondly, if anyone's attentive and notices Aki-sensei has the same name as her (presumed) ancestor from NoWaYu, that's not a mistake. According to a magazine promo for the WaSuYu TV airings, Aki-sensei's name is the same as Masuzu Aki from NoWaYu. It could possibly be an error, but the people I've seen check it over said it's likely not and it's the only thing to go on for her name, so at this time, that's what I'll be referring to her as.

Oh, and lastly, this story has gotten over 1000 hits! Thanks for continuing to view this everyone!

* * *

Looking over the latest report before going to teach her class, Masuzu Aki sighed to herself. The Shinju worked in many ways, ways sometimes beyond mortal understanding, however, the latest decision by the conglomerate of gods protecting Shikoku had left its followers, The Taisha, at somewhat of a loss on how to handle the situation concerning the latest arrivals. It had summoned them to assist the Heroes as a desperate measure and declared that they were not a threat to humanity and could help, but at the same time presented some unknown factors and to wait and see what level of trust would best be placed in them. Therein resided the problem, and what had caused some head scratching.

The Taisha were accustomed to not having had any serious challenges to their decisions or authority in ages and not needing to settle on a compromise. Yet, against the pair of mages, __they__ were the ones in a lesser position of power, especially when trying to walk a line between maintaining their leverage and not making the potential new resource uncooperative, but it wasn't going well. After seeing the display from earlier in the week, the Taisha had thought perhaps they could wait till the two were a bit more desperate for supplies and thus be in a better position to try any negotiations. Such a course felt cruel to her, but it was the Taisha's decision. However nearly a week later and no issues seemed to be arising. Then, there was the attempts to keep interactions with the Heroes sparse. The idea was to prevent them from getting __too__ close, but perhaps also reveal something the girls would then discuss over the Hero chat app, making the Taisha privy to it as well. However, nothing terribly useful had come about thus far.

Masuzu's feelings were a touch conflicted. She perhaps had a bit more of a positive impression than the rest; the duo had managed to save her students after all. Yet, their magic also was terrifyingly powerful, given how the one called Fate managed to kill three Vertexes at once. Perhaps strong enough that, were the Heroes to learn it, maybe it'd solve the issue of how to proceed from here, as most of the organization agreed something needed to be done after Gin nearly died. Maybe they wouldn't have to suffer another attack like that, were it taught. Still, there was one thing which kept Masuzu from fully supporting it.

The Taisha knew the strength of the Heroes could be trusted, but the same couldn't be said for magic. The power bestowed upon the Heroes was immense, surpassing virtually any manmade weapons, yet it was focused and posed almost no risk of accidental damage, one of the advantages seemingly held over magic. Were powers the mages displayed unleashed in the Jukai, who knew the what kind of potential damage could be unleashed. In fact, they would have caused some damage during the first engagement, had Gin not informed Negi about the Forestized world in time.

Perhaps their control would eventually reach a point where collateral damage was no longer an issue, but that tied into the second major point of contention. Practicing summoning firestorms, magma, using live weapons, and physical power which could reshape the landscape It just felt like asking to injure yourself during practice. Perhaps the two mages could heal the injuries, but what of when they left and if the Heroes hadn't advanced to sufficient levels for healing them quickly? Short term it'd be fine, but the Taisha couldn't heal their injuries with the same speed the mages could and posed long-term troubles. Given they could only approximate a general idea of when Vertex attacked, it would be a problem if a Hero became heavily injured shortly before they arrived. The teacher didn't want to put her students in harm's way anymore than absolutely required, but at the same time, they had a possible solution right in front of them and not doing anything could've meant an incident like the last attack, but one where there wouldn't be any last-minute rescues.

Hopefully, some form of agreement would be reached at the next meeting. The recent oracle carried worrying information that meant they had to move quickly…

* * *

Gin had thought that things were finally starting to go back to normal somewhat in the last week of school before summer break. She had been very wrong and everything leading up to today, Friday, had been more than a touch eventful.

After the incident on Monday, which she'd had to spend a long time explaining to Sonoko that it was all a misunderstanding, Negi had showed up the following day on her school route, true to his word about helping her get to class on time. Gin had tried to shoot him down when he showed up, she felt bad enough about it happening once, but she'd ultimately ended up taking his offer, because as her luck would have it, issues cropped up that would've otherwise made her late once again. But, she'd made a point to avoid a repeat of Monday, taking the wrist instead of the hand. At least she'd managed to invite him along to the Ines trip she'd planned with Sumi and Sonoko after school today, as it was her last day and the rain was supposed to let up in the afternoon as well.

However, in yet another odd twist, Taisha had arrived to pick her up for the remainder of the week. They'd cited the worsening weather when asked, but the outside didn't seem any harsher than normal. The situation felt somewhat off to Gin, but at least she was getting to class early now. It was nice, being able to have more than a minute at best to talk with her classmates before school officially begun. Today, she'd arrived particularly early.

"Morning!" Stepping into the room, Gin greeted her class with energy and a wave. Oddly, the girl didn't get most of the usual return greetings she got in the morning, instead being answered with several curious stares, including an oddly red-faced Sumi. It was enough to make her raise a perplexed eyebrow at the situation. Did she miss some bad news lately or something?

Shrugging it off, Gin started walking toward her seat, only for some of her friends to approach her midway. "Um, Gin-chan." One of the girl's spoke up apprehensively.

"Hrm?" Gin eyed the group curiously, a touch of concern also working its way onto her features."What's up?"

"When were you going to tell us about your boyfriend?"

Gin's whole being froze, her mind trying to process what she'd just heard and decide if she hadn't suddenly gone crazy and started hearing things. No, she'd definitely not imagined what was said. Almost like a delayed reaction, once her brain had a second to confirm she hadn't heard wrong, her cheeks started turning red. "B-boyfriend?! What the hell do you mean?!"

"That's who you showed up with a few days ago, right? You were holding hands in the rain and started making it to class early afterwards!" One of the mob spoke up leaning in toward Gin.

Oh, no. Someone actually __had__ seen her and Negi! In hindsight, holding onto someone's wrist could've easily looked like __something else__ from a distance, couldn't it? Or had Sonoko told them? Blush intensifying on her face, despite any efforts to somehow will it away, Gin started attempting to form a reply, but her classmates had already descended on her like a pack of hungry piranhas, cutting off any of her attempts to talk.

"What's he like?"

"Why's nobody seen him at school?"

"Is he from a Taisha family? Is that why you've been getting dropped off by them? Did your boyfriend send them?"

"Oh, is it like an arranged relationship between families?"

"Eh? Mino-san has a boyfriend~?"

"L-let me talk for-" Gin frantically tried to interject, but stopped dead once she heard the last voice. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Sonoko! What are you doing?!" Gin shot her friend an incredulous, annoyed look between her red face. Sonoko should've known exactly what happened and still joined in on this?!

"Hrm?" Sonoko innocently starred back at Gin as it were obvious. "Everyone else was joining in and it looked fun~."

Gin felt a groan rising from her throat. Leave it to Sonoko to add fuel to the fire.

"G-Gin, w-what's this about having a b-boyfriend?" The sound of Sumi's flustered voice came from behind Sonoko, stammering out the words with difficulty.

Glancing past the group, Gin saw her red faced fellow hero, with a blush that, if how hot her own face was, probably was about the same shade of red Gin herself was. She hadn't felt more embarrassed in her entire life than now!

"It's nothing!" Gin finally shouted, more forceful than she'd meant to, but she couldn't help the extra volume in her voice with how flustered she was feeling. Sure, she could probably be considered popular with the class, but keeping this kind of topic just between Sumi and Sonoko was one thing. Having her love life suddenly become a topic for everyone was too much!

A second of silence descended over the classroom from Gin's sudden outburst.

"Then… Why __were__ you holding his hand and sharing an umbrella?" One of the boys in the class spoke up, sounding hopeful. The rest of the group starred at Gin expectantly.

"Er, that's-" Gin's mind suddenly went blank, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She didn't have any idea what to say. The Hero couldn't explain what really happened and mention magic, as the Heroes had been told to keep that under complete secrecy. She also didn't really know Negi all that well to even attempt to make up some kind of excuse, not that current events were any help with trying to cobble together something even with what she knew already. The silence was just making it worse, wasn't it?

"Good morning, everyone." Like a ray of hope, the classroom teacher's voice came from the door, drawing everyone's attention and sparing Gin further humiliating questions.

Taking their instructor's arrival as the cue for class to begin, the remaining students made their way back toward their respective seats, some giving Gin a few glances between moving to their seats.

Taking her own seat, Gin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, slowly feeling the heat from her face starting to vanish. She'd never been happier to hear her instructor arrive. What did she do to deserve this anyway? Negi had helped her a ton lately and she liked him, but just as a friend, right? He'd only been here a week!

Thankfully, this was the last day of school till summer, so she wouldn't have to deal with more the mobs for _ _too__ long. Gin would've died of embarrassment otherwise. Still, she'd invited Negi along to the full tour of Ines she'd planned to give Sonoko and Sumi that had been rescheduled from last Saturday, on account of the Vertex attack and following events. It'd be a good chance to know Negi better and come up with some kind of cover story, since this definitely wasn't going to be the last she heard of this….

* * *

Much as Gin would have liked, the rest of the day didn't pass without incident. She'd had to explain the situation to Sumi, who seemed to calm down a bit once it was cleared up. Then, she'd been bothered by her class again during some breaks, which had forced the group to come up with an excuse of it being related to their duty as Heroes, as the class wasn't supposed to ask about that. After that, school had proceeded relatively smoothly and they'd all been able to head to Ines and meet up with Negi once it'd ended. Sumi voiced some protests toward inviting them, but Gin had eventually made her relent, not that it'd helped the occasional suspicions glances she threw toward him.

"First stop on Gin-sama's super special Ines full course tour, the arcade!" Gin proudly declared, gesturing dramatically to the arcade, earning a small applause from Sonoko.

Sumi, on the other hand, looked apprehensive and eyed the entrance suspiciously. "Do we really have to? Ines is fine, but… arcades are a bit frightening…"

Gin sternly shook her head. "That's no good, Sumi. I won't let you have such a wrong impression of Ines."

"It's a first for me too, but I'm looking forward to it~! I always wanted to check it out." Sonoko said with a cheery expression, eying the arcade, and the various sounds and lights coming from within, with wonder. She had some games at home, but that couldn't compare to an arcade's environment.

"That's the spirit!" Gin said with an approving grin and nod toward her blonde friend.

Sumi remained unconvinced, a nervous frown on her face. "But I was told by my parents, if you go to an arcade, you'll turn into a delinquent. You'll waste all your money and ruin your life!"

"Woah, that's some preconception…" Gin blinked, looking more than a touch surprised at the outrageous accusation. Just what kind of people __were__ Sumi's parents?

"I think that's going just a little far." Negi chimed in. "I've been to an arcade before, though only once on a trip to Kyoto. I turned out just fine."

Sumi's eyes instantly lit up, leaning toward Negi with a touch of excitement and wonder in her voice. "You've been to Kyoto before? That was the imperial capital for over a thousand years in the Christian Era!" Her earlier apprehensions about the arcade had vanished entirely.

"I don't know how comparable it might be to the history of this world… But yes, I spent several days there before." Negi said, nodding with a smile. "Would you like to hear about it?"

Sumi vigorously shook her head. She'd never turn down a chance to hear about firsthand experience of the old world, especially of a place with such historical significance to Japan.

"Then, I'd be happy to tell you about it, but it's a rather long story. I'll tell you at the end of the tour, if you enjoy yourself at the arcade."

Sumi's eyes shot toward the arcade entrance, contemplating the offer, her not so internal struggle manifesting as a furrowed brow and pursed lips.

"Come on, it'll be fine! Negi-san's even a teacher! And look at me, I've been here before. My life's going just fine." Gin added, giving her conflicted friend a reassuring pat on the back.

With two examples of evidence against her previous thoughts starring her in the face, Sumi made up her mind. "Gin, Sonocchi, Negi-san, let's go." Glancing briefly back at the group, Sumi practically raced through the entrance.

"Woah, that was sure a quick turnaround…." Gin commented dryly, watching Sumi run inside. She knew Sumi loved history and her country, but she didn't think it'd be __that__ easy to convince her to 180 her mood so fast. Still, even if Negi had to bribe her, it was always nice to see Sumi able to unwind a bit. The girl had issues letting herself just sit back and relax sometimes, and maybe this would be a decent gateway to open her mind a bit.

"Wasshi sure got excited fast. Come on, I wanna play some games too~." Following her friend, Sonoko stepped into the arcade with a cheerful grin.

"Hey, don't leave us behind! I gotta show you where all the best games are!" Gin called out after her two friends, trailing behind them with Negi.

* * *

"Bucchi's cute~." Sonoko said, eyeing the stuffed cat plushy Sumi was now carrying as the group walked toward their next destination.

"I just wish he didn't take 3 months of my allowance…" Sumi lamented, looking down at the plushy with a conflicted look and squeezing it for comfort. She was having second thoughts about her acceptance of arcades and if her parents' advice had been truly wrong.

"It did take a while to get, but everything worked out in the end, didn't it? I think it's a nice plush." Negi interjected with a comforting smile.

"That's true, but still…" Sumi trailed off. It didn't help her feel better about losing control of herself on the crane machine.

After entering the arcade, Gin didn't waste any time showing the group around to all of the attractions within. Sumi had preferred to mostly sit back and watch, but she'd jumped in a few times. Gin, rather unsurprisingly, won most of the games which involved any competition rather handily, but that'd changed when the group went to a fighting game. Gin put up a fight in the first match with Negi, but on each successive rematch, things got progressively more lopsided, until the boy was almost untouchable by the 4th match, much to Gin's frustration. The mage just seemed to pick things up __inhumanly__ fast. If not for Sonoko and Negi insisting they had more to the tour, Gin probably would've wasted a lot more of her money on trying to edge out a win. With Gin vowing to settle the score later, they'd moved onto the crane machines.

At the next spot was where Sumi found something that caught her eye. In one of the games, there was a plushy which resembled a stray cat that lurked around her neighborhood and Sumi immediately took a shine toward it. With some encouragement, she'd leaped head first into the game. Before she knew it, Sumi had spent a large amount of money on the machine, but at least she'd gotten her prize.

Hearing it'd cost her three months of her allowance, Negi had offered to give her some money as they left the arcade. Sumi had initially tried to deny it, but the other child had insisted and when he pointed out her spending rush meant she wouldn't have any money for the remaining stops, she'd reluctantly relented. Further helping her conscience was that Negi possessed a rather absurd amount of money for a child his age and circumstances and three months of her allowance wasn't much to him. Perhaps it was from the Taisha?

"Oh well, it was learning experience and you still got him in the end, right?" Gin said, trying to reassure her friend. "Why don't we check out a book store or something next? Maybe they'll be some history stuff there." Gin wasn't the most enthusiastic on books herself, but it history was certainly a good way to brighten Sumi's mood.

"Oh, I like that idea. Some new books to read would be nice~." Sonoko spoke up eagerly.

"If we're going to tour most of Ines anyway, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stop there next." Sumi agreed, her demeanor brightening up a touch at the idea of looking more into her favorite topic.

* * *

"Woooooow, I didn't think Mino-san would know such a good place for books~." Sonoko commented, looking between the various shelves with a childlike wonder. The blonde had elected to mostly scan for pictures books.

"I couldn't call myself an Ines expert if I didn't know all the ins and outs of it." Gin replied with a smug voice and satisfied grin.

"And history stuff should be right…. Here!" Gin suddenly came to a stop, gesturing to some nearby shelves.

"Ah, thank you, Gin." Sumi said, scanning the various rows for any particular subject that caught her eye. She had to admit, it was certainly a surprise __Gin__ , the one who had the most trouble with studying and academics, knew a good place to find things that would've normally fallen outside her expertise. That was the power of her love for Ines, Sumi supposed.

"I think I'll stay here and look around as well. I'm interested to research this place's history in further detail." Negi said, already picking out something to read from the shelf.

"Alright, I'll be checking out the manga section if you need me!" Gin replied before walking off to pursue her own interests.

With her friends gone, Sumi glanced through the bookshelves, picking out a book on naval history she didn't recognize. However, her thoughts for once weren't entirely about history. This was the first time she had alone with Negi, and she wasn't sure what to think of the other. There were things about them which made her cautious, such as some of the dangerous magic they wielded, the earlier scare about supposedly being in a relationship with Gin after barely knowing them a week, and the last name. On the other hand, Negi seemed to be a genuinely nice person and had a friendly demeanor, even helping her over the earlier mess at the Arcade. And then there was the possibility of having someone with firsthand experience of Kyoto to talk with being dangled over her head… She had said she'd give him a chance, since her friends appeared to trust Negi, so perhaps now was a good time to attempt learning more about them to better judge the situation?

Almost as soon as Sumi had resolved to try learning the other, the sound of rapidly turning pages sent her attention drifting. Glancing to her side, Sumi saw the eye brow raising sight of Negi flipping through the pages of his book impossibly fast, so much that his hands didn't appear to __ever__ stop moving and he closed the book, apparently __finished__ with the entire thing, in mere seconds. With his current task done, the mage reached for another one to devour the contents of.

"H-how did you…?" Sumi slowly said, blinking a few times while trying to process what she'd just seen, all her earlier thoughts pushed to the back of her mind. There was no way he'd actually managed to __read__ the entire book's contents in such a short time, right?

"Hrm?" Negi looked away from his search, focusing toward Sumi with a curious look. "Oh, the reading?"

Sumi nodded her head with a blank expression in response.

"The same way I do most of what you've seen. It wasn't that big of a book." Negi answered with the most casual voice imaginable while going back to his search, leaving the implications quite clear

Sumi continued to blankly stare at Negi. This kid either wasn't human or magic could be used for some impressively mundane things, or both. Both seemed like a safe bet at this point.

"Um", Sumi started apprehensively, watching Negi move for a third book by the time she'd found her words. "Are you by chance interested in history as well…?" Much as she loved to discuss the rich history of her country, she sometimes felt like her discussions, which were more like lectures, with Sonoko and Gin were rather one sided. Gin wasn't the most academically interested, while Sonoko tended to space out and let her do the talking, even if she could've perhaps kept up with the material. She'd never get tired of sharing her love for the topic, but having someone who could actively engage in discussion with her about it would've been nice to have. Negi seemed like quite an intelligent individual and even became a teacher, so perhaps she could find it in him? She wanted to try learning more about them, and what better starting place than one of her more comfortable topics?

"I think it's quite interesting, one of my favorite subjects personally." Negi replied, reaching for his fifth book while smiling toward Sumi. "The gradual progression of society to the current day, how much one can learn from events long since passed, discovering the person behind various historical figures and their more famous accomplishments. I could spend a long time just researching it."

Sumi couldn't help the rapidly growing grin on her face. Oh, yes, this was definitely the kind of answer she'd been hoping for. But she couldn't be satisfied yet! There remained one burning question which she needed answered.

"How familiar are you with the Showa period?" Sumi energetically asked, leaning toward Negi with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Decently." Negi commented with a nod, picking up a 7th book. "I made it a point to study as much of Japan's history as I could before I came to teach. I assume it's one of your favorite eras?"

Ordinarily, Sumi would've launched into excited questions to see how much Negi knew, it sounded like she might've finally had someone who'd engage her in a conversation about history! However, there was something which made her raise an eye brow from the implications. Negi had said he'd researched Japan's history before he came to teach. Did that mean he'd come from __overseas__ to teach? She'd let some of her other suspicions of his origin slide after coming up with a few reasonable explanations and helping with the Vertex, but worrying facts just continued to stack up…. No, she had to be overthinking things. He must've been researching the topic for the sake of teaching it, right?

"Hey!" Gin's voice came from down the aisle. "You find everything you want?"

Turning toward the source, Sumi saw Gin holding a manga volume, alongside Sonoko, who was similarly holding a colorful looking book. Had she really been standing here that long with Negi or were her friends just quick at finding something? Maybe Gin was just anxious to get out of the store, perhaps.

The Hero looked down at her naval history book briefly before glancing back to her friends. "Um, sure. I'm ready to leave if everyone else is."

* * *

"Hm, where to go next…" Gin mused looking around Ines for where the next stop on their tour would take the group. She was almost reaching the end of showing off Ines highlights.

After the bookstore, further locations proved to be rather quiet compared to the first two. Gin had brought the group to some of her favorite locations, from stores for video games, toys, the best food, Ines had stops related to a sea of different interests and it was why Gin loved it so much. There had been __one__ notable thing across their visits though, and that was the small hoard of various items Sonoko had amassed between stops, of which Negi had offered to carry.

"How about-" Gin started, only to stop herself when she noticed Negi eying something in the distance. Following his sight, Gin saw the mage looking at a clothing store.

"Hey, Negi-san." Gin spoke up, drawing the boy's attention back toward her.

"Hm?"

"You wanna go clothes shopping next?" Gin asked. She wasn't much of a fashion person and generally wore what was comfy more than anything over stressing over looks, but if someone on her tour group wanted to go somewhere, it was her job to make the trip fun!

"Ah, that. Well, I was thinking of picking up a few new outfits if I'm going to be staying here long, considering I only have what I arrived with." Negi replied. "But it's not too important. I wouldn't want to side track your tour and I can come myself if you had other places to show off."

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Gin said with one of her usual grins. "I'd be a bad tour guide if I didn't show you around where you wanna go."

"Clothes shopping sounds fun~!" Sonoko beamed. "Some more summer clothes would be nice~." The girl may've already had an extensive wardrobe of outfits, but she'd never say no to collecting more cute ones.

Gin immediately felt a sinking feeling in her stomach at the glint appearing in Sumi's eyes once Sonoko finished her sentence. She was starting to get deja vu

"Well, if it won't be any trouble. If any of you see an outfit you like, I'll pay for it. Consider it thanks for showing me around." Negi offered with a friendly smile.

Oh, no. Gin knew exactly where this was headed. "Tha-"

Sumi's hand instantly clamped down on Gin's mouth. "Thank you, Negi-san." Her voice barely kept her growing excitement in check.

"Come on, Gin. Let's see if we can find a summer outfit for you." Sumi said with an uncharacteristically excited grin, hooking one arm around Gin's and dragging her off

"Oooh~, good idea." Sonoko echoed Sumi's enthusiasm, albeit more subdued, hooking her arm around Gin's still free one and joining in on dragging their friend to her doom. "Maybe we can find a swimsuit for Mino-san too, it is summer~."

Gin's cheeks started turning bright red. Getting made to play dress up doll for Sumi and Sonoko again was bad enough, but now Sonoko was bringing __swimsuits__ into the mix when Negi was shopping with them?! "S-Sumi, So-Sonoko! Do we have to do this again?!" Gin loudly protested, nearly dragging her feet to try slowing down.

Negi watched the trio cheerily, well not so cheerily in Gin's case, make their way to the store he'd been looking at. "They sure seem excited."

* * *

"Not as good as the ones from Sonocchi's house… But these are a good fit as well!" Sumi commented, snapping a seemingly endless number of pictures with her phone.

Gin whined softly, face tainted lightly red. She really should have expected this kind of thing to happen when they went clothes shopping. Sumi and Sonoko, though largely Sumi, just loved to put her in any dresses and cute clothes they could find. More girly clothes just didn't suit her, no matter how much her friends tried to convince her otherwise! At least it was just Sonoko and Sumi, and not their fourth party member as well.

After entering the clothes store, her friends had wasted no time picking out various dresses and dragging her away to the changing rooms to force her into them. Negi had gone off on his own to look around, given that the kind of clothes he sought weren't at all in line with what they were looking for.

The latest outfit her tormentors had set up with was a long sleeve tan sweater that stopped and parted around the sides of her hips. Accompanying it, was a pale black undershirt ending in a ruffled skirt going past her knees. Completing the look, were pure black stockings stretching up to just below the hem of her skirt.

"I think Mino-san looks cute~. A simple style fits her well~." Sonoko casually commented, furthering the blush on Gin's face.

"I'm not the one we came to the clothes store for, you know!" Gin protested between Sumi bouncing around every side of her, snapping pictures.

"We can't let this opportunity go to waste!" Sumi shot back instantly, a wide smile on her face. "Gin, it's the middle of Summer and we need to ensure you have appropriate clothes for it!"

"I have shorts for that!" Gin yelled back.

"Speaking of it being summer season. We should move onto the swimsuits next while we're here~." Sonoko added, pulling up one of the frilliest and girly looking swimsuits Gin had ever seen, frills and hearts covering almost every inch of it. It was certainly to Sonoko's fashion sense, but…

"No way am I wearing something like that!" Gin yelled, firmly shaking her head in the face of the mere idea. Gin had to draw a line in the sand __somewhere__. "I already have one anyway!"

"Awww…." Sonoko whined, looking dejected. "But I think it suits Mino-san so well and it's too small for Wasshi."

Gin's response was a loud groan.

A knock came from walls, followed by Negi's concerned voice. "Are you alright? I heard shouting."

"Fine!" Gin interjected before anyone else could speak up. Maybe she could use this as something to speed up leaving if Negi was finished with his shopping.

"Spring-san, good timing~!" Sonoko said, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Gin could also see the lightbulb appearing over her head. "Stay there for a second~."

Gin only had to wait half a second before Sonoko's plan became terrifying clear. "Hol-"

Sonoko threw the curtain to the changing room aside with one quick motion of her hand, revealing Negi standing on the other side of it.

Gin whole body froze. She didn't blink, she didn't move a muscle, she didn't even dare __breath__ , her entire form still as a statue. Even her mind went blank.

"S-Sonocchi, what are you-" Sumi stuttered, briefly snapped out of her photography craze by her friend's brazen behavior of throwing open the changing room curtains with a __boy__ on the other side, even if everyone was decent.

"Hm? Were you thinking of buying that outfit, Minowa-san?" Negi, surprisingly unphased at the situation, leisurely commented, scanning his eyes over Gin's dress.

Realizing she was being addressed, Gin's mind achieved a snap back to some semblance of coherency, if barely. Her thoughts were still spinning from the act Sonoko had just pulled. "I-um-" Gin stammered, feeling her face progressively heat up with each attempt to speak. "These kinds of clothes don't really suit me…."

"Really?" Negi tilted his head with a perplexed look. "I think it looks cute on you."

 _ _Cute.__ Gin felt her heart stop the second she'd heart that word, like someone had gripped it into a tight fist, but also something else she didn't quite know how to put into words. It was embarrassing as hell to hear it coming from Sonoko and Sumi, but hearing it come from someone who'd she just recently gotten to know, a boy no less, felt completely different. Her face felt so hot, Gin could've been set on fire and not felt any different.

"See~." Sonoko said with a relaxed voice and satisfied smile. "Mino-san looks cute in a dress~."

Gin wondered if Negi knew any magic that'd let her disappear on the spot.

* * *

After clothes shopping, Gin had led the rest of the group to a few more minor spots before finishing the tour, leading the group outside Ines and toward home. Somewhat to Sumi's surprise, Gin had actually chosen to get the outfit Negi had commented on. Sumi wasn't going to complain, but she didn't think Gin was ever going to see reason and admit she could look cute. On the other hand, not buying anything they tried on would've been considered rude and Gin looked like she wanted to get out of the store immediately after the stunt Sonoko pulled.

Still, at least she'd gotten to hear about Kyoto after the trip was finished! The girl had done much reading on it, but now she had someone who'd seen it with their own eyes. It certainly sounded like quite a trip, from the kidnapping of one of Negi's students and the political tensions between two magic associations. The fact it was given as a school field, even if part of the reason was to deliver a message to try and ease the conflict, would've raised a few questions about the kind of school Negi taught at, but those were all pushed to the back of her mind to instead ask about the sights and various historic landmarks, comparing it to her knowledge to see how well the Kyoto from Negi's world matched hers. That line of discussion had quickly overtaken all the other talking points of the trip. Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end eventually.

"Washio-san." Negi spoke up from behind the small mountain of trinkets and objects Sonoko had picked up, taking advantage of one of the small breaks between her questions.

"Yes?"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm for history and to learn more, but it's getting late and I need to be leaving soon. We should be getting close anyway, right?"

"Eh…?" Blinking, Sumi glanced around and noticed that Negi was indeed correct, and it wouldn't be long before they'd split up, Gin's house being in a different direction than her's and Sonoko's. Just how wrapped up in the story and questioning had she gotten?

"Damn, I don't think I've seen anyone who lasted that long talking history with Sumi…." Gin dryly commented, legitimately impressed.

"I like to see Wasshi's less serious side like this, it's cute~." Sonoko added.

Sumi felt her face heating up from the whole ordeal. How embarrassing, letting her guard down like this around someone she'd only known for a week, even if it was about history…

"But, if you're this that interested, perhaps I can show you the memory another time and let you see for yourself."

"Show us the memory…?" Sumi questioned, raising an eyebrow. She didn't know what to expect from magic, but at this rate, little would surprise her.

"Correct. One of the things mages can do it share their memories. It's kind of like…" Negi trailed off for a few moments, searching for the best way to describe the ability. "…A very immersive movie, where you're able to be there and experience what's happening, instead of just watching it on a screen, even if it's not exactly __real."__

Sumi went dead silent, even stopping her walking out of shock. She could potentially see what the rest of Japan looked like with __her own eyes.__ Not limited pictures or simple text descriptions, but almost like an in-person experience! This could've been a once in a lifetime opportunity, a dream come true for someone like herself!

"Movies~!" Sonoko cheered. "That sounds like it'd be fun, getting a chance to see what the outside world would've looked like~. I wonder if I could bring popcorn…."

"You can do __that__ with magic? Why didn't you just show us instead of talking about it!" Gin excitedly said with a grin.

"Negi-san!" Sumi practically shouted while running up to the other kid, getting as close as she could with the Sonoko's things in the way, even pushing a few into Negi. All her previous notions of dignity and shame over the earlier incident completely abandoned in the face of this chance. "H-how soon do you think you could share this? Would it be possible for you to come over tonight?!"

"Wasshi's inviting a boy over already…" Sonoko commented, looking a touch surprised by the sudden development, compared to her usual tendency to jump on these situations.

"Woah, that's kinda sudden, don't you think Sumi!?" Gin said with an incredulous look, cheeks a touch red.

Realizing the implication of her friend's words, Sumi's eyes went wide and her face started turning red. "I-I don't mean anything by that!" The girl said, immediately backing away from Negi, like he was some cursed object. "It's ju-"

An explosive sneeze suddenly cut off Sumi's words, followed by an intense rush of air that nearly knocked Sumi off her feet and sent a few of the objects Negi carried tumbling to the floor. But that wasn't the most worrying thing. It was the sudden __breeze__ she felt between her legs. Gasping in horror, Sumi's hands immediately went to her now flipped up skirt, pushing it down into its normal position.

"I-I'm so sorry about that!" Negi said in panic, now in his long haired lightning form and frantically waving his hands. "I-It happens when I sneeze and something fuzzy bru-"

"Y-Y-Y-You-" Sumi loudly stuttered, cutting off the mage, feeling her face hotter than it'd been in her entire life. Her mind was spinning, trying to grasp what just happened. Negi showed amazing control with his magic, from healing, telepathy, sharing memories, and immense physical power. She was supposed to believe this mage, this __boy__ would accidently lose control from a simple sneeze? He had to of __intentionally__ flipped up all their skirts! ****"YOU WESTERN PERVERT!"**** Sumi screeched at the top of her lungs

"Huh?!" Negi said in shock, defensively taking a step back from the volume of Sumi's voice.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" Sumi continued, letting all her fury pour into her voice. She couldn't believe this westerner had managed to trick her! She was beginning to trust them too! It all made sense to her enraged mind. The last name, the studying Japanese history before coming to Japan, and now this! The politeness had to be just an act, waiting for an exact moment such as now!

"I didn't mean to, I swear! It just happens!" Negi protested, face turning deeper crimson and growing more flustered by the moment.

"You transform and do…. __That__ just by accident!?" Sumi fired back accusatory, disbelief clear in her voice. She didn't want to hear any excuses. How did one __possibly__ do something like that accidentally?

"I-I know it looks bad." Negi stammered, returning back to his normal form, face bright red. "But I'm being honest!"

"Um-" Gin's uncharacteristically meek voice spoke up from behind Sumi.

Turning around, the girl could see her friend pressing their skirt down with both hands, face a deeper crimson than Sumi had ever seen from her. Standing beside Gin, even Sonoko had a slight blush on her face, though she looked far less embarrassed than either her or Gin.

"If it was really just an accident…" Gin added, finding a bit more strength in her voice, though still lacking much of her usual fire.

Sumi's eyes shot back towards Negi in a fierce glare. She'd __never__ seen her usually loud and energetic friend that embarrassed or red faced. This was clearly a traumatizing incident for her, and Sumi wasn't going to just ignore this humiliation! But not now, now, she wanted to get as __far__ away from the western pervert as she could, in case they felt like taking __further__ action to degrade her group's dignity. She lacked tools to provide proper punishment for the twenty-nine different measures of revenge flashing through her head at the moment anyway.

"Gin, Sonocchi, we're leaving." Wasting not a moment more, Sumi spun around and started walking away, craning her head back to keep an eye on Negi for any further antics.

"U-um, what about Nogi-san's belongings?"

Not stopping her movements, Sumi pivoted back toward Negi, walked up to him, wrenched the load from his hands, spun around once more, and resumed her walk home with some difficulty. The objects were much heavier than Negi carrying them had made it look.

She heard Sonoko and Gin say a quick goodbye a few additional words she couldn't hear, the latter's still much weaker than her usual voice, before joining her.

"Hey, uh, lemme take some of those…." Gin spoke up, walking up to her side. Her face was still quite crimson, but the blush was slowly starting to fade.

Knowing they still had a bit of walking to do, Sumi gratefully let Gin, alongside Sonoko after she offered as well, take their own share of Sonoko's shopping hoard.

"The __nerve__ of him." Sumi spat with a huff, finally starting to feel some of the heat from her face vanish. She was a failure of a Yamato Nadeshiko for allowing this to happen toward not just her, but her friends as well.

"I haven't seen Wasshi this mad in a while." Sonoko replied, looking at her friend in concern.

"You saw what he did, Sonocchi."

"I diiiiiiid~." The blonde replied level headedly. "But, maybe we should at least let Spring-san explain himself."

Sumi looked at Sonoko like she'd just insulted udon.

"We don't know everything about how magic works~. Maybe he was being honest. Remember what happened when they showed off some~?" Sonoko added, speaking with the maturity and wisdom her normal spacey demeanor hid.

Sumi groaned, shaking her head. It wasn't an __impossible__ thing, but there were too many holes for her liking. "I'm never trusting that Western pervert again."

Sonoko hummed in thoughts for a few moments. "Theeeeeen, how about we have a sleepover tonight~? It's the first day of summer break~."

"Yeah, that sounds fun!" Gin finally spoke up, grinning and regaining more of her usual spirit.

A sleepover? That was rather a rather sudden and out of nowhere subject change, not that it was too surprising from Sonoko, but maybe it wasn't a bad idea, since it'd been a while since their last one. "I guess it's a good idea."

"Yaaaay~." Sonoko cheered. "I wonder what we should do first…"

The rest of the conversation on the way toward Sonoko's house devolved into idle chatter of their plans for the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes:**

Whew, it's been a long time, hasn't it? The story isn't dead! I'm still alive! I can't apologize enough for the ridiculous delay in getting this out, almost 5 months overdue. I wish I could say I'll be back to regularly scheduled updates, but I'm not sure if I'm quite there yet, still have a lot going on. At the very least, I don't think it's gonna take anywhere near as long to get more chapters out. Hopefully, the next one will come within a month at the latest. I hope you enjoy this chapter in the meantime, extra long one to make up just a little for how late this is. Be sure to check out the author's notes at the bottom, since I have something else to mention once the chapter's been read.

Oh, and one quick note. Between these updates, I made one minor change to chapter 7. Gin's dress has been changed to a bit more simple version of the one from the fashion event in YuYuYui, over what it was before. I like the design much better than what I had in mind. I'm not a fashion expert to come up with good dress designs.

* * *

"Test number one: no success." Negi commented with a sigh, crossing his arms with a downcast expression. The clock in front of him remained unmoved and unchanged on the grass, as if mocking the mage.

It'd taken him and Fate some time to get everything in order; between studying further on local history to see if there were any differences in the timeline aside from the obvious lack of the magic they were familiar with, another meeting with the Taisha, and some brief study and theory crafting to get a better grasp on this area of magic. However, the time had finally come to attempt sending something back in time. The trial was to send a clock backwards a few minutes, just a small drop in the bucket compared to the potential demands of needing to send two _people_ backwards over 300 years, around three times longer than Chao's travels, and even to another universe, but everything had to start somewhere. As a precaution, they'd scheduled the test for out in the country side, rather than inside their lodgings.

Unfortunately, the first live experimenting produced absolutely no results, being a complete failure.

"I wonder what could be going wrong..." Negi mused, closing his eyes briefly to think. It was true that there hadn't been much time to theory craft compared to his past attempts at learning magic, and there hadn't been any material to study from, but the lack of _any_ progress was frustrating.

"Negi-kun, a suggestion." Fate spoke up, glancing over from the test site toward Negi.

"What is it, Fate?"

"Perhaps if we destabilized spacetime for a short period around the test, it might give us more positive results and make it easier to manipulate. I can handle this part and account for any differences in expected results due to manipulating time." Fate suggested, returning his gaze, almost a glare, back to the clock.

"It's worth a suggestion; let's give a try," Negi replied, a bit of hope seeping into his voice.

Raising his hands, Fate said a brief chant and began channeling magic into the form he desired. The world responded to the Averruncus' will, space and time warping and twisting within a magic circle surrounding the clock. Parts of the world itself seemed to change from moment to moment, grass blowing out-of-sync with parts surrounding it, and certain areas expanding and shrinking to different sizes.

For a short time, Fate continued the display, steadily unraveling the world in hopes of making it more malleable toward their goals.

"There. I believe that should be enough. Proceed when ready, Negi-kun." The mage finally announced, relaxing his arms and stepping back, while materializing multiple protective barriers to encompass the testing site.

Stretching his hand out, two magic circles appeared, one around Negi and the other surrounding the clock, a soft glow emanating from the runes. The mage tuned out of his surrounding area, drawing all of his focus onto channeling the magic for the planned spell, invisible energy slowly starting to pool itself around Negi, in the earliest stages of spell casting and awaiting the command of a mage to build it toward a specific purpose. "Then, let's begin the second test."

"Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister…" Initial preparations complete, Negi began chanting, the mana around him responding to his will and beginning to form the requirements for his spell. This was the simplest and easiest part. Negi was well acquainted with the use of magic to warp both time and space on an immense degree. There was Evangeline's creations. Her resort capable of fitting multiple biospheres onto a single small table and compressing an entire day within an hour and her scroll that could make one experience nearly an entire week in barely an afternoon. Those were part of what had inspired Negi to pursue learning how to manipulate spacetime on his own between spare time with the Blue Mars Project, in part what allowed him to accomplish an inhuman amount of work in a small span of time, with none of the drawbacks of advanced aging, due to being immortal. But the compression of time and space, while advanced magic, was still a basic task next to the outright reversal of it.

The world around the clock warped and twisted in response to the magic being cast, space becoming distorted, glow surrounding the rune circle intensifying in tandem with the swelling magical energy. Negi could feel the energy struggling against his will, refusing to bend into the shape he sought, but he wasn't going to give up here. Negi had conquered more challenging tasks than this.

Subduing the energy and completing the spell, a brilliant light engulfed the second rune circle, blanketing the area for several seconds, before slowly subsiding into a faint glimmer, and then vanishing entirely. Where before there had been a simple clock, there now remained nothing but a plain patch of grass.

Seeing the clock gone, a small smile found its way onto Negi's face. That was a good sign, but now came the second part, seeing if the clock had actually traveled back like they had planned.

Expanding his perceptions to the immediate area, both mages having restricted them before the experiment to avoid a time paradox, like detecting the clock before it was sent into the past, Negi felt around for the clock. Yet, disappointingly, he felt a complete lack of its presence. Not so much as a single trace of the object remained.

"Fate… Do you sense anything?" Negi asked with a furrowed brow, thoroughly perplexed at where the clock could have gone.

The only response Negi received was a disappointed shake of his companion's head.

"That's… disappointing. Could it have perhaps gone forward in time instead..?" Negi wondered with a resigned sigh. What could have possibly gone wrong _this_ time? The clock had actually disappeared during this test, but with it nowhere to be found. Negi couldn't decide if they'd taken a step forward or backwards.

"Possibly. Regardless, I think we should wait a short time before beginning the next test and try to search around the immediate area and attempt to locate it before continuing. If that is indeed what happened, perhaps it will reveal itself shortly or the alterations to spacetime are interfering with our ability to sense it. Finding the clock might give us clues on how to proceed from here." Fate suggested, already levitating off the ground to begin the search.

With no other options, Negi soon followed Fate's suggestion, floating off in a different direction in hopes of finding it.

Unfortunately, no matter how meticulously Negi searched, there just wasn't a single trace of the clock that his normal, or supernatural, perceptions could detect. For all intents and purposes, it was like the object had ceased to exist.

However, there was something the mage did detect, something _odd._ After further widening his perceptions around the entirety of Shikoku, the mage picked up something he didn't expect. He felt _something_ with an unusual energy around them. It wasn't any of the Heroes or the Shinju, this signature was coming from the south western area of the prefecture. At the same time, no one but them and the Shinju seemed to possess any kind of signature significantly different from a normal human's. But, this didn't feel like a Hero's, so then, what was he feeling now? It felt far too different to be the clock, but it's signature changing so drastically as a side effect wouldn't have been _impossible._

Something struck Negi's senses as sudden as a lightning bolt. Like it'd appeared out of thin air, he could detect the clock now, back near the original testing site. Had his theory been correct? Was it flung into the future instead? And if it was, what was that energy he could still detect at the other end of the island?

Whatever it was, he couldn't afford to look at it now, there was business to attend to, but he'd definitely have to investigate the matter further some other time... Formulating possibilities in his head, Negi sped off toward their original testing ground.

Arriving instantly, the mage saw Fate likewise touching down near their target, already moving to investigate it.

"Fate!" Negi called out, floating down beside them. "Anything to report?" He certainly wanted to discuss that weird feeling he detected, but they had a busy schedule today. Unless Fate felt like mentioning it, then it could wait for a better time.

"The time on the clock hasn't moved in anyway worth mentioning." Fate dryly replied, glaring at the hands of the clock like it'd personally insulted him. "Combined with our inability to find it at first and the sudden reappearance, I believe your earlier suggestion is correct."

"Hrm..." Negi hummed in thought, face shifting into a tense expression and looking downward. "Not the result we'd been hoping for, but I think that's better than the first attempt." Negi continued, face brightening into an optimistic smile. "It gives me an idea of where to go from here. Let's set up for one more test."

Giving a curt nod, Fate set the clock back onto the original testing site, before stepping back in preparation to resume the experiment once more.

"Before we begin, I want to try something different. The last two attempts didn't result in anything dangerous that needed to be contained, so I believe it should be safe for you to focus primarily on helping me, instead of maintaining barriers." Negi said to Fate. Normally, safety was a high priority for any kind of experiment. However, given the lack of any issues with the first two trials, coupled with both him and Fate being immortal and wanting to make progress in the little time left, made Negi willing to relax somewhat. Perhaps, with the additional support of another powerful mage experienced in the more esoteric sides of magic, they'd be able to find success.

With everything in order, both went through the setup process a third time. The world surrounding the clock twisting and turning again.

Again, Negi could feel the difficulties in controlling the spell and bending time to his desires, but now supported by Fate, he tackled the task with renewed optimism and energy. He focused on his first experience with time travel, back when Chao had given him the Cassiopeia watch during his first Mahora Festival, drawing on everything he felt from the many trips backwards. The subtle twinges and fluctuations in time, from the largest jumps to even the smallest and subtle changes caused by going back mere seconds.

With significantly more ease and quicker pace than before, the world responded to the magic being cast, warping and twisting with greater intensity, till a breaking point was reached and the clock enveloped within the swirling magical energy vanished into nothingness.

Ritual complete; both mages ceased their spellcasting, the world returning to normal in tandem with the subsiding magical energy.

The clock had vanished once more, and Negi's face remained tense. Now came the final moment of truth. Widening his sense to encompass the countryside, Negi probed around for his target. And what he found, brought a smile to the mage's face. The clock rested a few dozen meters to the side, exactly where he had been intending to send it.

"I'll investigate it." Fate declared, already flying off toward the signature while Negi remained at ground zero of the test site in case of any unforeseen circumstances cropping up. The Averruncus would've likely had better odds of noticing any trace changes in spacetime.

Negi only had to wait a few moments before Fate returned, clock in hand. "Well, what's the result? Anything promising?" Voice containing a subdued hope and optimism, he asked.

Fate gave a subtle nod, speaking in a neutral, yet slightly lower than normal tone. "The time on the clock, combined with the alterations I could feel surrounding the flow of time, make me believe the test was a partial success, rather than something such as time being accelerated."

The experiment had finally produced meaningful results, they'd taken the first crucial step of sending an object back in time, but Negi couldn't help the frown creeping onto his face. "'Partial success'? What went wrong then? Were our estimates off for how far back it went?"

Once again, Fate nodded. "Correct."

Negi sighed, frown deepening. "That's disappointing… However, at least we managed to send it back at all, that's definitely an improvement after the first two trials." The child's demeanor and expression brightened a touch with the affirmation.

"We should begin another test immediately and continue until we can manage at least this." Fate replied.

Negi shook his head. "As much as I would like to, we have other matters we need to prepare for. The Heroes should be waiting for us."

The Averruncus' face contorted into a scowl at the mention of the girls, a bitter tone tainting his voice. "This is our first time doing any live testing. We have much work to do if we can't even send a clock back 10 minutes, much less the potential centuries to return home. I understand you insist on training them in magic, but there are better times than now. It took us three attempts to even manage something as small as this."

"I know, but after all the trouble with the Taisha, they finally eased up somewhat. I'd like to take this opportunity while it's available. Besides, remember that they said there would be an attack in the near future? We don't know the exact date it'll be, and considering how their last battle went, I'd at least like to get them started training before the next attack." Negi fired back, shaking his head firmly.

Only a short time ago, the Taisha had, much to Negi's surprise, contacted the two mages and set up another meeting. The group had told him two important facts then. The first, there would be an attack coming soon. The Shinju apparently could give oracles to specific people to communicate. A red flag raised itself in the back of Negi's mind when he'd heard this, since if they could communicate with the Shinju, then the Taisha should've certainly known if it had pulled him and Fate here, yet they remained silent on the issue. Not wanting to pressure them too early into the meeting, Negi had kept quiet on that matter, urging Fate as well with telepathy.

The second, and most pleasing piece of news, was that the Taisha would allow him and Fate to teach the girls some magic, in part because of the upcoming attack, but it was not without conditions. Firstly, only healing magic was to be allowed, while secondly, it would be under the supervision of their normal teacher. An argument had ensued after that, Negi argued that using healing magic alone to try learning magic wasn't going to work. He'd managed to, after a few demonstrations, prove his point and gotten the Taisha to reluctantly relent in allowing the most basic and weak spells as additional practice. The child hoped the Heroes would've been informed of the reasoning behind this, as he knew a second demonstration might've been needed to show why this path was being taken. The girls seemed quite eager to learn, and might've not been the most enthusiastic about the limitations, Gin especially.

"We can devote more time to this once the groundwork for them to practice is laid out. They should be able to practice some basic spells on their own, but we'll have to at least get them started." The mage added with a reassuring smile, hoping to ease his companion's sour mood.

Fate sighed wearily and closed their eyes, the words having limited success. "Fine, as long as we ensure this lesson will be quick and we can resume our work."

Satisfied at the victory and realizing this would likely be as much of a concession one could get out of Fate, Negi nodded. Much as this was what he wanted, Negi couldn't deny Fate certainly was right. Hopefully this _would_ be a short lesson and they could start working again. The last thing he wanted would be for the incident from the Ines visit to cause issues. He hoped none of the girls would still be too angry and that there'd be a chance to properly apologize. "Then, would you mind handling transportation? You're better at teleporting than I am, and we have a few things to pick up first."

Raising a glowing hand, Fate prepared a teleportation spell.

* * *

"Haaaaah!" Sonoko shouted, twirling her spear about in various movements, from offensive thrusts to defensive pivots. Each and every motion Sonoko made, she scrutinized, watching herself for even the slightest imperfections to improve on.

The Heroes had enjoyed a bit of an extended break from training, likely due to the extraordinary circumstances as of late, but Sonoko and her friends had finally begun to resume their regular training and practice recently.

Sonoko was glad to have a chance to relax somewhat with Sumi and Gin after the disastrous battle not too long ago, but she knew training was important as ever and relished returning to it. In order to prevent a repeat disaster, everyone would have to train hard to be at their best for future battles. Who knew what other surprises the Vertex held? She couldn't fail as a leader again, not when it'd almost cost Gin's life.

Another slash of her spear, and Sonoko internally chided herself immediately after retracting her spear and side-stepping back into a ready stance. She'd overextended by just a hair with the motion and her recovery lagged ever so slight for it. Little mistakes like this rapidly added up in a fight against the Vertex. Once more, this time, she'd do it right.

"That's enough!"

Her teacher's voice brought Sonoko out of her combat focus, just before she could attempt the move again. Taking breaks to ensure your body and mind were rested was important, but why was their instructor calling one now? It certainly hadn't been as long as one of their usual practice sessions and, given the new oracle, Sonoko would've expected them to train more rigorously. Could it be the announcement she was hoping for? Curious for answers, Sonoko moved to stand in front of Masuzu, joined by Gin and Sumi.

"You've all been working very hard since we resumed training," Masuzu started in a firm voice, her experience as a teacher letting her speak in a tone and manner that immediately commanded attention. "However, starting today, there's going to be a change in your practice."

Sonoko felt her features start perking up in anticipation at the announcement. This had to be what she was waiting for.

"In light of the recent oracle, the two mages will be assisting training and teaching you three magic."

"Eh?" Gin spoke up first, eyes and mouth widening into a mixture of surprise, excitement, and even a subtle bit of embarrassment that matched her voice. "We're really gonna learn magic?"

Normally, Gin would've been the person to jump at this, she was easily the most outwardly eager of the three to learn the new skill. However, it seemed like the earlier incident with Negi still lingered in her mind, no surprise she was the most flustered over it. Her cheeks were even gaining a hint of red.

Still, that accident with the more friendly of the two mages was going to be an issue. While Sonoko wanted to believe it was truly an accident, it was a simple fact that learning from the mages would go far smoother with a good relationship, rather than letting a grudge get in the way. She wasn't worried about herself or Gin, but Sumi. The other girl had been furious and in no mood to talk over it, so Sonoko had suggested the sleepover to get their mind off it. Perhaps, with their anger given a little time to simmer, her friend would be a bit easier to reason with whenever the topic came up again.

Glancing over at the girl in question to probe for any kind of indicator, Sonoko's eyes lowered at what she saw.

Sumi's hands lightly gripped the side of her outfit and made soft wrinkles around her fingers, her eyes possessed a tense look, and her lips were pursed. The girl seemed to be doing all she could to maintain her composure in front of their teacher.

"Is…. It going to be safe?" Sumi asked with restrained frustration.

"Your training from now on is likely to be more intense than it previously has. However, those two have assured and demonstrated they will be more than capable of ensuring no serious damage will happen to any of you." Masuzu responded with a level voice and calm stare.

"Ah, that's good then..." Sumi replied, voice trailing off and face falling into a pensive one.

Noticing the other's clear discomfort over the subject, Masuzu's expression and tone softened ever so slightly. "Is there something wrong, Washio-san?"

The very second their teacher finished speaking, Sumi stiffened up, like a child just caught by their parents with a hand in the cookie jar. "No, I'll be… fine." A hint of embarrassment in her voice, Sumi replied.

Sonoko internally frowned at her friend's display. It seemed like she was still anything but thrilled over the idea of seeing Negi again. Sumi always had an intense dislike of anything western, which made for an awful combination with the earlier incident. If there wasn't a chance to clear the air when the mages arrived, hopefully Sumi could make it through this training session and Sonoko could calm her down afterwards.

Wearing a mask that gave away none of her internal thoughts, Masuzu continued. "Then, before the mages arrive, there is one more specific change to your training I need to let you know, more than just learning magic." Masuzu paused momentarily before speaking once more. "While they will elaborate in further detail once they're here, you three will have a chance to practice against enemies with a scale like the Vertex. It should help you better prepare for fighting the Vertex, than just sparring with yourselves and our regular practice."

"Wait, we're gonna get to fight more giant monsters?" Gin asked with a raised eyebrow and twinkle in her eyes, excitement in her voice slowly building.

Masuzu nodded. "While not the same as the Vertex, they claimed they can summon creatures of a similar scale. Even if whatever they can create isn't exactly like them, there's a big difference between how you fight another person, and how you battle something on that scale, even if some skills can apply to both. This'll be a chance to practice fighting Vertex like enemies under safe circumstances."

"When are they going to be coming?" Sonoko finally spoke up, brimming with curiosity. She'd been expecting they would be taught magic eventually, but the chance to fight against something like the Vertex and not have the looming danger of one mistake potentially being their last? That was far more than Sonoko could've hoped for. This was just what they needed to prepare for any other major attacks.

"Within several minutes at most. Until they arrive and practice starts again, take a short rest." Masuzu said, standing up and moving away from the group while using her phone, likely making a few notes about their current practice, and leaving the three Heroes to talk among themselves.

She only had a few minutes? That was disappointing, but maybe she could still make something out of it before the two arrived, at least smooth things over a little.

Walking over to her now seated and resting friend, Sonoko took a position beside her. "Hey, Wasshi~. How're you doing?"

Sumi glanced toward her friend, face still conflicted and tense, but relaxing the slightest bit. "Ah, I'm doing alright..." Her friend's voice was low, worried. "Sonocchi, what do you think about this?"

Sonoko gave a reassuring smile. "I think it'll be okay~. There's a lot of useful stuff we can do with magic." With only a few minutes to spare, focusing on the usefulness of magic seemed the best route vs fixing her friend's personal issues with the mage.

Sumi looked entirely unconvinced, frowning in response. "But, you saw how destructive it could be. If something like that got used in the Jukai, then we might do more damage than the Vertex do."

"Well~, then we'd just have to practice more, so we can control it right?" Sonoko returned, her bright smile unfazed by the negative response. "They dealt with the last attack without causing any major damage. Right, Mino-san?" The girl turned toward their third friend for additional support.

"Huh?" Gin suddenly looked up Sonoko and Sumi, brought out of her internal thoughts by the sudden address. "Oh, uh, yeah! We should be fine with enough training, right? I wonder what kind of stuff we'll start with… Think we'll do any practice on our own or they'll be around all the time?" The girl's mind was clearly elsewhere for the moment.

Yep, definitely not over the incident from earlier, or did she just want to see someone? Under better circumstances, Sonoko would've penciled away that reaction for future reference. But, right now, bringing Negi up probably wasn't going to help matters.

As expected, Sumi's frown deepened and the girl sighed. "Even if that's possible, are they going to be able to control themselves… That demonstration ruined an entire mountain."

Sonoko opened her mouth to answer, but a rune circle appearing out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning toward it, she could see Negi and Fate standing within the fading light at the middle of the room. Negi wore his customary friendly smile, while Fate's was nearly the same flat gaze as always. Yet, looking closer, she could've sworn he looked a hint annoyed.

"Hello, everyone! We finished a little quicker than expected, hope we didn't arrive too early." Negi, speaking in a cheerful manner, waved toward

"Hiiiiiii~." Sonoko returned the friendly tone and greeting, despite inwardly being conflicted. This wasn't good. She hadn't had enough time _at all_ to try and convince Sumi to ease up.

Briefly glancing toward Sumi to probe her friend's reaction, Sonoko's worries were confirmed. Sumi's expression had darkened noticeably, looking like she was barely holding back a glare in her eyes and scowl on her lips.

This wasn't gonna be easy.

"It's not a problem. We'd just finished up normal practice and were taking a short break." Masuzu answered levelly.

"Glad to hear it," Negi said, taking a few steps toward the group. "It'll just be a moment to set up everything. But, before we begin, I'd like to talk with the Heroes about a personal matter. Aki-san, Fate can explain to you the plans for today in more detail, while he sets up."

The Heroes' teacher briefly looked toward Negi, then to Fate, who was busy conjuring several magical circles and pulling various objects out from them, before giving the child a curt nod and walked over toward the second mage.

Sonoko took a few steps of her own toward Negi, meeting the mage halfway and greeting them warmly. "Hey, hey~, Spring-san~."

"Hey, Negi-san! What's up?" Gin threw in her own greeting while joining her friend, though it was just a touch more subdued than her normal energetic ones, Sonoko noted.

Sumi, meanwhile, remained silent and stood several paces off to the side, as if she was intentionally ensuring she wouldn't be directly in front of Negi in the event of any other magical mishaps.

"I wanted to say I'm so sorry about what happened last time." Negi started in an apologetic tone, bowing and face a touch red over the memory. "I didn't get a good chance to say it then, but I really am."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I mean, it was just an accident, right?" Gin reassuringly said, dismissively waving her hands with a hint of a blush on her face.

"Yeah, accidents happen~. Buuuuut, how's that happen with someone who can use magic like that anyway~?" Sonoko chimed in for additional support. She believed the mage that it was an accident, but there still had to be some kind of reasoning behind why a sneeze would flip up skirts like that. Maybe an explanation would help mitigate Sumi's issues somewhat.

"Oh, that." Negi said, rising back a normal stance, looking a little sheepish. "Well, it's a little embarrassing… But it's a problem I've had for a while since I started learning magic. It's not that rare for a mage to have issues with using a spell or two by accident while they're still learning, a friend of mine would sometimes summon fire when she got angry."

Sumi raised a skeptical eyebrow at Negi's reasoning, looking thoroughly unconvinced by the other's reasoning. "If that's the case… Then how can we expect to learn properly from you if you're still learning yourself?"

"I understand that might sound a little suspicious, Washio-san," Negi, undeterred and more of a smile returning to his face, replied without hesitation. "I know a lot about magic, more than enough to be able to teach someone. It's just that, circumstances led me toward focusing more on learning magic more useful for combat and the upper level spells. Accidentally using a disarming spell isn't that big of a problem, so I guess I just never got around to fixing that issue with everything else I was doing."

Sumi's defensive postured relaxed slightly, mulling over the reason, but the girl still looked doubtful of the reasoning Negi provided.

Negi frowned, his attempts at proving his innocence having little success with the most reserved of the heroes. "Then… how about this." Negi's expression brightened, an idea coming to the mage. "I'd be happy to show you some of my memories sometime and prove I'm being honest."

A lightbulb went off in Sonoko's head and a grin appeared on her face. "That could work~." The girl interjected just as Sumi opened her mouth to reply. "You wanted to see Kyoto in person anyway, right Wasshi? Spring-san could show you that too~." Sonoko enthusiastically said, glancing toward Sumi with a hopeful smile. If there was anything that could've won Sumi over, it'd be her weakness for history.

Sumi closed her mouth to think. Several conflicting emotions, curiosity, suspicion, apprehension, crossing her face while she considered the options. She still clearly held doubts about Negi, even with the offer to see their past, but bringing up the possibility of seeing one of Japan's greatest historical sites with her own eyes was enough to at least give her pause, even with her hate of the other.

"...Fine." Sumi finally relented, after a long pause, speaking in a resigned voice. "However, I have one question." Her eyes shifted narrowly in suspicious before continuing. "If you're not from Japan, where are you from?"

"I spent most of my life in Wales, in the UK." Negi answered without skipping a beat. "I came to Japan when I was nine and spent most of my time there since."

"I see…" Sumi flatly responded, her expression lowering considerably to a barely restrained glare and crossing her arms, fingers digging into her outfit.

"So, you're really from another country?" Gin spoke up eagerly with a curious grin on her face, Sumi's scowl out of her line of sight. "Where's that? How'd you learn to speak Japanese so good?"

"I'd love to talk, but now's not really the time..." Negi trailed off, glancing over toward where Fate and Masuzu were waiting.

In the time Sonoko and her friends had spoken with Negi, the Averruncus produced a table with a variety of objects on it. Three sticks that resembled wands, each of simple make and roughly a foot long with a small star on the top, a glass of water, and a thermometer. Standing next to the display was a rather annoyed looking Fate, with an expression that seemed to scream 'hurry up already'.

"Oh, yeah, gotta learn magic!" Gin, not at all deterred and seemingly excited even further at the cause for interrupted, spoke with a confident grin and clenched fist.

"We can talk more another time, maybe whenever I show Washio-san Kyoto," Negi said with a soft smile. "Washio-san, will you be alright with training today?"

"It's what the Taisha decided, so I'll manage," Sumi replied back, her tone and expression looking thoroughly unenthusiastic at the prospect.

Negi frowned, clearly picking up on Sumi still holding some lingering issues, before uttering a light sigh in resignation. He just didn't have the time to work this out at length right now, perhaps later during their next planned meeting. "Well.. If you're certain. I suppose we'll begin with the lesson now." The child turned around, walking over toward his friend and passing Masuzu, moving back to her usual position to take notes, on the way

Internally, Sonoko matched Negi's disappointment, trailing behind the mage. With the confirmation Negi was a foreigner, on top of the other issues, the situation definitely became _worse._ Sumi always had a huge problem with anything western based, but never before did she meet a person from the west in the flesh. Even with the offer to see Kyoto, her friend clearly wasn't satisfied as is, but there just wasn't time to talk out everything. Sonoko just hoped Sumi could keep things in check till the end of the training session.

"Alright, before I begin, how much were you told about today's plans?" Negi questioned, taking a position beside Fate behind the table.

"Not too much. Just that we're going to be learning and practicing against giant monsters now~." Sonoko, being the leader of the Hero group, answered.

"Ah, well. In that case, there's a few things I need to go over with to start with. To begin with, the Taisha, while allowing this training to happen, have placed a few restrictions on it." Negi continued, slipping into an experienced teaching voice, much like the one their own instructor often used.

Gin raised a curious eyebrow, already starting to look disappointed at their training coming with terms and conditions. "What kind of restrictions?"

"Primarily that, aside from the beginner spells designed to teach you how to channel magic, your magical training will be mostly focused on things like barriers and healing magic." Negi answered calmly.

"Eh? Why?" Gin, annoyance oozing from every bit of her voice, protested with a deep frown. "All that stuff you guys did looked so cool!"

"I understand why you might be disappointed, Minowa-san." Negi started, forming a mild frown of his own. "However, that's what the Taisha agreed to, worried about safety, so it's how things are going to be right now."

The reply earned a low but resigned whine from Gin, who crossed her arms in frustration.

Something didn't feel right to Sonoko. The Taisha clearly had a tense relationship at best with the mages, and it felt like both sides were trying to be sneaky with the other. But why did they take so long to decide this and impose such a restriction? Magic, in addition to defense, could provide so many additional options for attacking. Why were the Taisha seemingly so worried about putting a new tool into her group's, the chosen Heroes of the Shinju itself, hands? After the last Vertex attack and the unusual oracle, the more advantages they could get, the better. Safety was a concern, but as long as experienced magic users were around to monitor upper level magic, it'd be fine, right? Maybe they would relent if things went smoothly?

"Moving on, the exact lesson plan for future sessions is going to depend on what happens next." Negi continued, returning to his normal demeanor immediately and earning a few curious looks from the Heroes at his plans.

"Normally, we'd start with the academic side of magic and spend a while studying."

Another soft groan sounded off.

" _However,_ " Negi quickly added, picking up on Gin's growing frustration. "Your circumstances are rather unique, and given you already have the Shinju-sama's power within you, I think that should give you an advantage over normally starting out. So, we're going to try casting some magic today and carefully monitor what kind of a reaction happens, then make a more detailed lesson plan. Maybe training can be accelerated a bit if things prove promising."

"Woohoo!" Gin energetically shouted with a massive grin and pumping her fist straight into the air.

"Casting magic has many aspects to it." Negi began lecturing, picking up one of the wands. "But there are two essential parts. First, the words themselves. Beyond the words for each spell, every mage has their own personal 'activation key', a set of words said before a spell proper, think of it like a password to unlock further magic. For now, you're going to just stick with the beginner chant everyone uses to start out, but think about something you might want to use in the future. It doesn't matter what it is and can even be made up, as long as it just feels natural to you."

Briefly pausing, Negi raised the wand up to head height, holding in a ready position. "And after that, you have the motions. Combine them with the words and it looks something like this."

Sonoko leaned forward, keeping a close eye on Negi's hand and staying alert to hear each word the mage spoke.

" _Practe bigi nar_ ,"Negi spoke carefully and slowly, giving each of the Heroes a chance to hear everything he said. With his words, the mage made a gentle motion sideways through the air from left to right, like they were drawing the underside of a bowl, topped off with a small loop at the end.

" _ **Ardescat.**_ _"_ Negi raised his wand upward with one swift motion, a small flame, no bigger than one from a lighter, appearing at the edge of the wand.

Sonoko applauded lightly at the display with a pleased face. It was _worlds_ less flashy than anything she'd seen, but it was still a cute display.

Sumi and Gin, on the other hand, were significantly less impressed, looking at it with flat faces. Gin, especially looked underwhelmed. "…. Is that it?"

"That's it." Negi's cheery expression didn't falter for a nanosecond.

"After everything you guys showed last time, that's kinda..." Gin murmured with a sigh, trying to avoiding being too rude at going from storms that could vaporize mountains, to a glorified candle.

"It's just a beginner spell. You have to start somewhere." Negi replied, trying to temper his audience's disappointment. "However, while it just looks like a lighter, there's something special about magical fire compared to normal flames."

At this, Sumi and Gin's curiosity was immediately recaptured. Their disappointed expressions changing to questioning ones as they looked onward for further explanation.

Leisurely moving the wand downward, Negi dipped the tip of it, flame and all, completely into the cup of water on the table.

Seconds passed by, but to the wonder of everyone but the mages, the fire remained _burning_ while completely underwater and without any sign of fuel, in complete defiance of physics..

"Magical elements don't exactly behave like normal," Negi lectured, removing the wand from the water and extinguishing the flame. "Fire can burn in water or a vacuum and doesn't need fuel, water won't freeze purely based on temperature, things like that. We can go more in depth on each, once we get to them. For now, who'd like to try the spell?"

Gin's hand shot skyward before Negi even finished his sentence, easily beating out her friends, to Sonoko's mild disappointment. She'd wanted to try using a spell too.

"Alright then, Minowa-san," Negi continued, walking over toward Gin and handing the eager girl his wand, standing in front of her. "Just repeat exactly what I did. You should feel a sense of energy from the spell flowing around you. Just focus on it and imagine directing it to the wand."

"Alright… _Practe bigi nar-"_ Gin chanted, trying to mimic Negi's earlier words and motions. The foreign words were pronounced slightly slower than Negi's attempt, but the girl otherwise solidly replicated the mage's display. **"** _ **Ardescat.**_ _"_

Her technique may have been a fine copy of Negi's, but the results were _far_ from comparable. Instead of a tiny flame flickering at the tip of Gin's wand, a raging ball of fire exploded into the air, the blazing inferno being easily the size of the grown person. But, just like an explosion, the flame flickered into nothing after an instant, the wand which summoned it dropping to the floor from Gin's surprise. And nearly with it, the wielder.

"Minowa-san, are you okay?" Negi asked with a worried voice and concerned tone, putting a hand onto Gin's shoulder for support. The wobbly legged Hero looked about ready to fall over.

"Gin! What's wrong?" Sumi jumped in on Gin's other side with similar worry, bracing her other shoulder with one hand, while wrapping her other around Gin's other shoulder, almost like she was trying to push Negi away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Gin dismissively said with a tired voice, straightening herself up and away from the hold of her friends, shaking her head a few times. "Just felt… A little dizzy there."

Sumi's attention immediately shot towards Negi, her eyes in a glare and voice accusatory. "What was _that_?! This was supposed to be safe!"

"Sumi, really! I'm ok!" Gin came to Negi's defense with a hurried tone, a strained smiled on her face to try and further prove her words. It was still clear Gin's normal energy wasn't in quite as perfect a condition as she wanted everyone to believe.

"Washio-san, just give me a second, please." Negi, taking a step back, pleaded with a worried expression. "I wasn't expecting something like that, but I think I can explain. I just want to be certain Minowa-san is alright first."

But Sumi refused to budge, silently glaring daggers at the mage.

"Negi-san." Masuzu's voice came from the back of the room, drawing everyone's attention. The teacher had stood up from her normal sitting position, keeping a composed, but stern expression. "You're certain that you can explain this and Minowa-san isn't in any trouble?"

"I can." Negi called back confidently, expression relaxing.

"Then, go ahead." Masuzu replied after a tense moment of silence.

Frowning deeply, and with one cautious stare toward Negi, Sumi reluctantly stepped aside and stood next to Sonoko, keeping her concerned gaze on Gin.

"Minowa-san," Negi gently said, stepping toward Gin. "Tell me exactly how you're feeling. Everything okay?"

"Small headache and a little tired, but perfectly fine aside from that." Gin admitted with a light shrug, shifting her expression to a grin an instant later. "Nothing I can't handle."

"That's good, nothing serious then. Let me help you first." Negi continued with a relieved expression. Moving one of his hands in front of Gin, the familiar glow of healing magic briefly shone from it for a few moments and earning a content sigh from Gin. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks, Negi-san!" Gin replied, much of the usual fiery voice and confidence everyone knew her for restored.

"Now, about what happened with Minowa-san's spell… I wasn't expecting something like that to happen, but I do have a theory." Negi returned to his teaching voice, taking a step back to begin the lesson anew.

Sonoko leaned in with Gin, both curious to learn more about what this could mean for learning how to use magic. As long as it was truly safe, Sonoko was sure things would be fine right? Negi and Fate both used magic without any kind of backlash like that, so surely there had to be a way to master it. All this stalling and time spent around magic couldn't have been for nothing.

"Every mage has their own personal capacity and ability with spell casting. A beginner and high-class mage could cast the exact same spell, with the exact same power and effect, but the latter would still use less energy. Not just because they have a higher level of personal stamina, but because they can use mana more efficiently. Think of it like how different cars can go different distances, despite using the same amount of fuel." Negi lectured, pausing to give everyone listening a moment to process the information.

"In this case, I was right that the Shinju-sama's energy gave you a ton of raw power to work with. However, because you haven't done any training to control magic, you have absolutely no efficiency in spell casting at all, along with little control. So, in Minowa-san's case, that basic spell caused her to use far more mana than it should've taken. Since using magic is based in part on your willpower and mind, getting low on mana can cause things like dizziness and exhausted. Someone can even pass out in extreme cases."

Sonoko raised a curious hand.

"Yes, Nogi-san?" Negi said, pointing toward her.

"Then, how'll this effect training? You said plans might change, depending on what happened." Sonoko spoke up. The explanation certainly made sense to her, but then came the problem of _dealing_ with it. If they couldn't even cast one of the most basic spells without almost collapsing, especially Gin who arguably had the most willpower and guts out of all of them, then what good would it be against something as deadly as Vertex?

"I have to test something first. I need to see if this affects you while not transformed too. If you can use magic in your normal states without exhausting yourselves, you could learn how to properly control it then, and maybe that control and efficiency will carry over while transformed. You could end up incredibly strong much faster than normal, if that's the case. That all said, Washio-san, Nogi-san. I'll need one of you to detransform and try to use the same spell, just in case. I don't want to put Minowa-san through too much at once." Negi finished, glancing between the other two Heroes expectantly.

"I'll do it~." Sonoko spoke up before Sumi could open her mouth to voice any objections, reverting back to her normal school outfit and picking up the dropped wand. "I'll be fine, Wasshi~." Seeing her friend's worried face, Sonoko reassured with a cheerful smile.

"It'll be ok, Washio-san. I'll be ready to step in the second anything goes wrong." Likewise, picking up on Sumi's doubts, Negi assured with a similarly friendly expression.

"Sonoko'll be fine, Sumi. Look at me!" Gin chimed in, giving Sumi a pat on the back for extra comfort.

The third Hero remained silent for several moments, wearing a tense expression, before finally sighing in acceptance. With everyone trying to ease her worries, it was difficult to stay tense. "Alright."

Giving a slight nod toward her friend, Sonoko refocused her attention onto the wand. Slowly, she flawlessly replicated the same steps Negi had before her. _"Practe bigi nar,"_ Sonoko focused carefully, slowly feeling an energy building up around her. It was a feeling that wasn't entirely unlike when she transformed and the Shinju's power empowered her body. But, unlike when fulfilling her duty as a Hero, the usage of this energy wasn't something that Sonoko instinctively knew how to use, not like the various shapes her spear could take, or the flames of Gin's axes. But, like when changing her spear, the energy needed to be directed and controlled by her own will.

Focusing in the same manner when using her weapon's powers, Sonoko directed the energy around her toward a single point on the wand, focusing on the star and the image of a flickering flame. The spell seemed to resist her instructions, trying to pull away and dissipate into it's default formless state, but Sonoko wasn't going to let herself get beaten by a beginning move like this. For every pushback the energy made, she pulled twice as hard, until she could _feel_ the spell was ready. She didn't exactly know how to describe it, but Sonoko knew the only step now was to complete the chant.

" _ **Ardescat.**_ _"_

A small flame, not an inferno or blaze, just a tiny light, appeared at the tip of her wand. The flame swayed gently in the breeze, looking like a perfect replica of the one Negi had cast earlier. She'd done it!

"Woohoo, I did it~." Sonoko beamed with a radiant expression.

And then the flame flickered into nothing. Just as she began to celebrate.

"Aww..." Sonoko whined, her expression dropping significantly. She was certain she didn't cancel the spell of her own accord, but it'd still faded away after only a few seconds.

"Woah, it looked just like Negi-san's! Good job, Sonoko!" Gin excitedly said with a wonder stuck face, leaning in closer toward the wand's tip, as if starring at where the flame had been would somehow give her better understanding of the spell.

"That was great, Nogi-san!" Negi commented with a pleased expression. "Looks like I was right, that there'd still be a little influence to help you, even without being transformed. Even that can sometimes take people a few months to do."

 _That_ certainly caught Sonoko's attention. Even something like a small flame could take months to normally do, when she'd managed it on her first try? How long did it take to learn the kind of high scale magic Negi and Fate did then? Did they have unique circumstances surrounding them as well? There was a lot to ask the mages next time they met up...

"A-a few months?" Sumi stammered, likewise taken aback by the implications. "What were you planning if it takes that long to learn normally and nothing happened?"

"We'd focus more on helping with combat training than learning magic for the short term. I'm glad the test went so well, though. It means you should be able to pick this up very quick." Negi answered bluntly, cheery as ever. "How do you feel, Nogi-san?"

"Fine~," Sonoko answered casually. "No different from normal~."

"Great, then I have a plan for how to continue. Considering circumstances and the next Vertex attack should be coming soon, I think it'd be best if you all tried to study and practice on your own a bit. If you can use a beginner spell that easily, we should focus more on improving your control and efficiency, and practicing some basics in daily life is a great way to get a feeling for magic. Then, you should be able to use the more defensive spells while transformed, without a huge drain on your stamina. I can get some books with plenty of notes ready, with the wands, and give them to you by tomorrow." Negi confidently spoke.

"More studying..." Gin looked immensely conflicted over the proposal. On one hand, learning to do magic was an awesome idea to her and way more fun than reading a normal book, history didn't teach you have to shoot fire from your hands. On the other hand, she never got along well with the idea of studying in the first place.

"Of course, if the Taisha don't mind." Negi continued, looking directly at Masuzu. "I can give them the same notes I'll be providing the Heroes. I think it's best this way, since they'll be able to learn as quickly as possible, and we can focus on their regular combat performance in the meantime. We should be as prepared as possible for the next attack."

Masuzu's expression, as usual, was extremely difficult to read. If she was at all taken aback by the rather forceful nature of Negi's plans, she masked it perfectly. "They'll decide after a report of what's happened here. I'll be sure to let them know your suggestion."

"I'm glad to hear. With that in mind, I think we should move onto the next part of your training we'll help with." Negi, spurred by the positive reaction and events, said with a bright smile. "I'll explain in more detail, once we arrive. This place is right next to your school and a little small for what we have in mind, so we'll be going somewhere else."

"Ready, Negi-kun." Fate, speaking for the first time since the lesson started, dully commented. While everyone had been talking, the Averruncus had caused everything previously set up to vanish back to wherever it'd come from, replaced only by the same black key Sonoko recognized when he visited her house.

"Is everyone else prepared?"

Several affirmations and nods answered Negi's question.

"Then, ready when you are, Fate." Negi said, looking back toward Fate expectantly.

" **Relocate."** With a single word, a bright light enveloped everyone's vision and the world vanished.

* * *

 **Spell Translations:**

 **Ardescat:**  
English: **Ignite flame.**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Alright! Since the girls are learning magic now, I'm having a little reader participation in the story here. I'm taking suggestions and ideas for what kind of "activation keys" the girls will have. Like Negi's is "Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister".

The only restriction is at least about 3 words and Sumi's _must_ be something "Japanese". You can suggest Latin for the other two, but I'd rather it be _correct_ Latin and not just run through google TL, please. And, when I say Sumi's must be something "Japanese", I just mean suggest it in English. They're all speaking Japanese inuniverse anyway. Feel free to suggest something English for Gin and Sonoko as well, if you don't know Latin. They've got unique circumstances to justify not picking Latin and I'd prefer it over google translated Latin.

Just leave the suggestion alongside a review or PM me! I'll be taking suggestions for the next few chapters, and will announce when submissions get closed.


	9. Chapter 9

When Sonoko's vision finally returned to normal, the first thing she noticed was the scenery of their normal training area had been replaced by that of the remote countryside, similar to where the two mages had held a mock battle to demonstrate magic. The second, and significantly more shocking sight, was that immense 'vines' of stone and earth were woven across the landscape, stretching for several hundred meters in all directions, perhaps even a kilometer, and connecting various parts of the countryside together. The area looked somewhat like it'd been transformed into a muted color and significantly scaled down version of the Jukai.

"Hey… It kinda looks like the Jukai. Do we really get to fight here?" Gin asked with a curious and eager voice, scanning the area.

"Correct." Negi answered with a pleased smile. "Since you'll be mainly fighting within one kind of area, we thought it'd be best to make the arena as much like the Jukai as possible, so Fate made this. They'll also be handling what you'll be fighting." Stepping aside, Negi opened the floor to Fate.

"The point of this training will be to give you more experience dealing with massive scale enemies, in a controlled environment. It will also be a chance for Negi-kun and I to observe how you battle and what style of magic you may be best suited for." Fate, pacing up to where Negi had stood a moment ago, began in an authoritative voice, the large black key floating behind him. "I don't know all of the details of what your training has been before, but even though this is merely practice, you should treat it as if it were a real battle. Don't hold anything back, as that's an easy way to get injured here."

Sonoko saw Sumi raise her hand for a question.

"Your opponents will be physically incapable of dealing lethal damage to you, and I can force them to halt at a moment's notice. The three of you will be completely safe." As if he could read Sumi's mind, Fate continued. Though it did lower her hand, Fate's dull delivery didn't appear to lower her concerns, as Sonoko could see her friend remained a hint conflicted.

" _However,_ " Masuzu's voice sharpy interjected from beside the Heroes. "If I feel the situation is becoming too dangerous, the session will be ended early."

"Yes…. There is also that." Fate, after a small pause, continued in an unflinching tone. "Besides Aki-san's authority to end the battle, you can choose to stop if the fight is too challenging for you. Simply leave the arena on your own or state you wish to quit, one of us will see you. Think carefully before choosing this. The Vertex wouldn't be so kind in a real battle." Fate finished with an edge to his words.

"Assuring everyone's safety is top priority for us and the Taisha." Negi quickly interjected for additional reassurance.

Finally, Sonoko could see the tension starting to leave Sumi's features. She wasn't going to lie to herself, she fully understood Sumi's concerns here. Even despite the assurances and knowing they could heal wounds, sparring with live and dangerous weapons would take some getting used to. But, knowing her teacher could call off the combat and the Taisha made certain it'd be safe, helped reassure her. All the more reason for them to take this chance while it was in front of them.

"Go ahead and jump onto the 'roots', and Fate will summon up what you'll be fighting. We'll be watching carefully from here and give you a moment to look around." Negi instructed.

After taking a moment to transform again, Sonoko took to the air alongside her friends, crossing the distance in a single jump and deftly landing upon the earthly roots. The Heroes' enhanced strength let them easily cover even hundreds of meters in one leap.

Now up close to the replica Jukai, Sonoko took a chance to scan the area in further detail. Looking around for any terrain which might've been usable to their advantage. The girls knew that of the _real_ Jukai quite well, but while the recreation looked incredibly accurate from a distance and still held up fairly well under closer scrutiny, it wasn't _perfect._ A root slightly thicker here, the gaps between some a touch longer there. Still, it didn't look like it was enough to require any major tactics outside their usual at least. If their opponents would be the same, that remained to be seen.

"They really did a good job with this. Doesn't look as pretty or colorful, though~." Sonoko commented with a pleased smile, looking around the soon to be battlefield. One thing this replica failed to recreate, was the otherworldly and mystical feeling the multicolored roots and landscape of the real thing invoked, no matter how many times she saw it.

"Yeah, magic's sure something. Wonder what we're gonna fight." Gin spoke up curiously, resting one of her axes on her shoulder.

As if answering her question, a colossal rune circle appeared in the air across from the girls, darkly colored, dozens of meters across, and inscribed with an intricate Mandala-like pattern. From within the circle, two massive sets of limbs emerged. Both shared clawed fingers and skin as deep as the darkest night, but that's where the similarities ended.

The first pair were long and thick, vaguely similar in shape to a bulky human's arm, but with a size far exceeding a city bus'. The demonic looking claws making up each hand effortlessly dug into the earthly terrain beneath it, serving as further aid for the monster they were attached to pull itself into the world.

The second set of limbs, likely belonging to a separate entity from the space between them, had what looked like wings attached to the claw-like fingers, resembling that of a traditional wyvern.

Soon after the limbs, came massive demonic looking heads, their pure white and soulless looking eyes the only different colored part of the emerging monstrosities. Both possessed horns jutting out from parts of their faces. Shortly after, came the lower bodies of the demonic beasts, followed comparatively thin tails.

The first of the creatures resembled a humanoid like dragon. Standing hunched over, it possessed a broad and thick torso, with 2 large wings jutting out from its back that were each bigger than its entire upper body, and giving it a far more imposing stature. Moving down from the torso, the monster stood upright on two lean, only when compared to its trunk like upper body, legs. Sticking out from its rear, a thin tail longer than both legs, swayed menacingly in the air.

The second of the duo, was far more beast-like in appearance. Standing on all fours, the rest of its body followed the pattern of its wings, looking much like a wyvern. A long and thick neck led into its body, with the hands and arms connected to its wings and resting on the ground in front of its face. Further contrasting the other, its tail was of a significantly more stout and powerful build. While the wyvern's head only came up to a little below the other dragon's chest, it looked overall the bulkier of the duo.

The emergence of these monsters was certainly a shock, but Sonoko suppressed her surprise, immediately scanning the Heroes soon to be enemies and considering potential battle plans. The last time something slipped her notice, Gin nearly died for it.

"… We're gonna get to fight _dragons?!"_ Gin loudly yelled, her voice a mixture of awe, eagerness, and curiosity. Briefly glancing toward her friend, Sumi could see the axe user had a wide grin plastered on their face.

"Correct. Now, begin."

Reacting immediately to Fate's words, the taller of the two monsters charged forward with a speed wholly unsuited to its scale, a flap of its wings accelerating it through the air even further, pulling its fist back for a strike. Readying to support its partner, the wyvern took to the skies.

Reacting quickly, Sonoko shifted the tip of her staff into its shield form to intercept the blow, both Gin and Sumi wordlessly falling in behind her for protection.

The monster's fist slammed into Sonoko's defenses, but they refused to give an inch, a fact Sonoko noted. The monster's overall speed certainly surpassed the Vertex, who generally possessed a slow main body with quicker appendages for attack or defense, such as Scoprio, but the weight behind its punch, while powerful, lacked the same impact.

"Wasshi! Hit the wings!" Sonoko instructed. If it was weak but quick relative to the Vertex, then the first priority would be to limit its mobility, especially if it possessed the same flight as the wyvern.

Materializing an arrow in her bow, a flower like gauge appeared around the tip and the petals slowly began filling while Sumi prepared to counter, but before she could, a large shadow overcame the area surrounding them.

Glancing up, Sonoko saw the second beast rapidly descending downward with its claws ready to crush her team.

"Move!" Sonoko shouted before jumping to another root, just in time to avoid getting trampled.

Barely even a moment after Sonoko landed, a glowing ball swirled around the wyvern's mouth, the air temperature around it dropping rapidly until even the coldest storms would've struggled to match it and turning into visible vapor, before shifting into ice that flowed into the expanding sphere.

"I got it!" Gin called out, stepping to the front of the ground, fire igniting around her twin axes to counter the coming attack.

A massive wave of ice, half the size of the monster itself, erupted forth from the wyvern's mouth at incredible speed, causing the ground within its path to instantly freeze over, without even a trace of direct contact with the advancing wall of ice.

"Haaaaaah!" Gin shouted with a mighty swing of her axe, slicing the blizzard to pieces with each attack, the roaring flames surrounding her weapons halting the ice's freezing power dead in its tracks and melting stray pieces thrown aside by her strikes.

The humanoid monster dashed to the side of the group, rushing forward with the right hand in its claws curled back to slash at the Heroes.

The flower gauge fully charged, Sumi took aim at the charging monster and released her arrow. The projectile sailed through the air and straight into a magical barrier crafted by the monster, but it managed to stop the momentum of the beast dead. However, the initial impact was far from the only power within Sumi's arrow. Briefly glowing blue, the arrow exploded into a large fireball, surrounding the creatures face with smoke and scattering part of the monster's barrier like broken glass.

Trusting Gin and Sumi could deal with the wyvern for a minute if attacked, Sonoko again changed her weapon's form, the front switching to a large, pointed spear over twice the size of her own body. Pressing the opening made by Sumi, Sonoko jumped forward with all the force she could muster, piercing through the remainder of the barrier and slamming into the monster's wings, now acting as a further physical defense. With her momentum slowed somewhat by the barriers remains, Sonoko failed to charge entirely through the beast as she'd hoped, but the sheer power in her blow still dug half of her spear's tip into the wings, pushing her opponent to the ground in an earthshaking fall.

Wanting to maintain offensive pressure and damage the wings before it could recover, Sonoko quickly adjusted her grip to pull downward and tear into the wings, but the demon suddenly flung them open, knocking Sonoko into the air.

Realigning herself in midair, Sonoko recovered just in time to see a vortex of wind spring forth from the monster's mouth and surge directly toward her with the ferocity of a tornado.

Acting quick, Sonoko moved her spear in front of her and tried to shift it into a shield to block the attack, but her weapon didn't even begin to change form before the raging winds slammed into her like a truck at full speed, sending her screaming skyward and turning the world into a blur while she tumbled through the winds. She thought she heard one of her friends scream her name, but couldn't make out who between the intensity of the storm around her.

But, almost as suddenly as it'd struck her, the winds faded and Sonoko found herself a moment to catch her bearings, but what she saw brought no comfort to her. She'd been thrown _immensely_ high, somewhere close to 200 meters at least, but her enhanced eyes could see Sumi was preventing the wyvern from flying toward her with a volley of arrows, weak and unable to inflict significant harm, but enough to force the creature to back off and defend itself. Gin meanwhile, was racing across the Jukai to a position underneath Sonoko. But where was the other monster?

Quickly spinning to look where she'd been launched from, the demon barely entered Sonoko's sight for a moment, before it rocketed past and directly above her, pulling its hand back for a powerful punch.

Seeing the impending attack, Sonoko prepared herself for the impact, but not without a plan. With nothing to brace herself against and the monster's speed, she wouldn't have been able to switch to her shield and the impact would've still sent her crashing to a painful landing. She couldn't avoid the latter if the creature was tough enough, but if she placed the spear in the monster's path, she could still use its own momentum against it for damage.

At the last moment, Sonoko raised her spear into the path of its fist, causing her weapon's tip to plunge right into her foe's punch and halt it, but the immense force within the strike still carried enough power to split the air with a shockwave on impact, launching Sonoko, weapon and all, at tremendous speeds straight back toward the fake Jukai.

Crashing painfully into the earthly roots, Sonoko groaned while trying to push herself back to her feet. She didn't have the same toughness Gin did and all the successive impacts left a few open wounds on her aching body, but she couldn't let something like this stop her! Gin went through far worse without complaint.

Giving one heave, Sonoko shakily pushed herself back onto her feet and glanced up in anticipation for another attack. Her enemy seemed to have been given brief pause from running its hand through her spear, it was hard to make out the extent of it at the distance and with the creature's skin being monocolor but, its right forearm looked somewhat mangled. Still, the damage wouldn't deter the monster forever, a storm already brewed and raged around its mouth while it dived straight at Sonoko.

"Sonoko!" Before she could craft a plan, Gin's worried voice sounded through the air, followed by her red clad form landing beside Sonoko, eyes trained upwards at the falling monster, but keeping Sonoko at the edge of her vision. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Is Wasshi okay?" Sonoko quickly fired back while steadying her stance, the same concern Gin had for her, echoed for Sumi's wellbeing. She was already formulating an idea to finish this beast, but ensuring the safety of her friend was top priority. Her weapon was ill-suited for single combat if the enemy could break into her guard and these monsters exploited openings at lightning speed.

"She's okay for now. Any ideas?" Gin asked, looking up at their enemy. The vortex of deadly wind seemed ready to explode any second.

In response, Sonoko shifted her spear into its shield form and raised it above her and Gin, ready to stop even the strongest attacks. "Mino-san, when I say go, rush out to the side and throw an axe once your away from the wind! And go help Wasshi right after!" The demon obviously planned to use the wind attack to pin them in place and cover its approach to melee range, and Sonoko knew perfectly how to exploit it with her own plan. If Gin's attack didn't kill the monster, then all she'd need is to knock its breath attack away for just a moment to make the perfect opening and kill the demon. She had complete faith Gin would be strong enough to move in and overcome the monstrous force of the tempest, but they needed to wait until the creature was close enough for the perfect shot.

"Got it!" Gin replied, tightly gripping her axes and getting into a stance to rocket away from the shield's cover at a moment's notice.

Not even a second after Gin finished her sentence, a thunderous noise exploded above them and Sonoko felt an incredible pressure slam into her shield and rattle her arms to the bone on impact. Every passing second, the force of the blast increased as the monster approached, threatening to forcibly wrench the staff from her hands. But she had to endure it to make an opening for Gin, just _one, more, moment._

"Go!"

"On it!" With all the strength she could muster, Gin sprung out from under the shield and into the raging tornado. The pounding force of the wind slammed down onto Gin's body, trying to halt her movement, but the girl was ready. Forced toward the ground not long after her initial jump, Gin rolled onto a root in path, using her current momentum to gain extra distance and slip past the edge of the roaring tornado.

"Take this!" Spinning back to face the direction she'd come from, Gin threw one of her axes with a loud shout, sending it sailing through the air with incredible precision and power that sailed cleanly over the winds and on a direct path to its target.

A terrible roar of pain shook the area in tandem with the almost unbearable force assaulting Sonoko's shield fading into nothing. Moving her weapon aside, Sonoko could see the now extremely close monster, it had to be no more than 10 meters from her, with a large gash down the middle of its torso and Gin's axe firmly embedded deep into the cut. Her plan worked!

But, it wasn't over yet. That monster still lived and was already starting to retreat and prepare for defense. She wasn't going to let it. Leaping skyward, Sonoko once more changed her weapon's form back into its spear and positioned in in front of her.

"Haaaaaaah!" Shouting, Sonoko thrust her spear forward with all the power she could summon into her arms. Without any magical defenses and already injured, the demon was helpless to block the incredible power behind her attack. Effortlessly, Sonoko pierced through the monster's chest where Gin's axe rested, erupting out of its back and cleanly severely it in two.

Looking downward, Sonoko knew better to assume something like this would immediately be a finishing blow after dealing with vertex, her suspicions were confirmed. The demon had been severed in half and its lower body lifelessly fell back to the earth, slowly disintegrating to nothing, but what remained of its upper torso, stubbornly fought till the end. Even as it slowly started fading away like its lower body, the monster still prepared to unleash one more blast of wind.

Letting gravity take over, Sonoko raised her spear behind her head while she fell toward the monster. The winds around its final attack intensifying for one last, desperate move. This was going to be cutting it by the skin of her teeth, but one final attack would finish this monster once and for all, and she refused to let unleash a single attack more to delay helping her friends.

The storm approaching its peak, Sonoko reached her target. With a mighty swing, the girl brought her spear down at maximum force, splitting the decaying remains of the monster down the middle, from the top of its face, down to the last remnants of its torso, finally slaying the demon.

Unsteadily, Sonoko landed back on the ground, taking only the quickest of moments to catch her breath. She couldn't rest any longer. She had to go check on Sumi and deal with the last monster. She'd told Gin to help Sumi after attacking the now dead creature, but Sonoko experienced firsthand just how quickly these creatures could hurt her.

* * *

With Gin having run off to save Sonoko, Sumi was left to contend with the wyvern alone. A risky move, but Sumi had faith in her friends and being able to regroup once their leader got rescued. Besides, this was nothing compared to the struggle Gin had gone through. If she could push back 3 Vertex all on her own in an extended fight, Sumi knew she could distract a single foe for a bit.

Pulling back her bow string, several arrows materialized with her weapon before sailing forth at her airborne enemy, possessing nowhere near the punch of her charged single shots, but covering far more air. With its surprising speed, it was hard to line up a powerful shot on anything vital, despite the huge size of her target

Stopping its rush forward, the wyvern responded with a flap of its wings and gust of wind, throwing a few of the arrows off course and pushing the beast backwards for further safety. Even still, two of Sumi's shots squarely exploded into the monster's chest, but to no effect outside of annoyed shake of the wyvern's head and drawing its attention from helping its partner, straight toward Sumi.

With a thunderous roar, the beast beat its wings and surged straight for Sumi at tremendous speed.

Preparing another arrow, Sumi took aim at the creature, anxiously watching the petals surrounding her weapon fill one by one as the beast drew ever closer. "Hurry up..." Sumi worriedly muttered to herself in frustration.

Before the gauge could fill, the monster descended upon Sumi and viciously slashed at her with its right claw, but Sumi was ready.

Leaping to her left and outside the monster's guard, the petals on Sumi's weapon fully illuminated and she took aim right toward the beast's wing, the hand attached to it firmly embedded into the root she stood upon moments ago. This would cripple its wings for sure!

But the wyvern refused to be easy prey.

The moment Sumi released her arrow, the monster pivoted rapidly along the same arc it'd swung its claw, bringing its much thicker and more powerful tail around and straight toward Sumi, like a whip thicker than a bus

Before Sumi could even try to defend herself, the trunk-like tail slammed into her with horrific force, getting a pained scream from Sumi. But the sound was silenced barely a moment later when the tail continued its arc through the air, carrying Sumi against it, and brutally crushed her back into the ground.

The tail removing itself from her body, Sumi's dazed senses slowly started coming back to her. Her whole body throbbed with pain, but nothing overwhelming, until she tried to stand. The moment she put weight onto her left leg, a jolt shot up her body and nearly made her drop back to her knees.

Gritting her teeth through a hiss, Sumi pushed through the burning feeling in her leg and unsteadily stood back to her feet, supporting her weight on her right leg. Quickly looking back at the wyvern, Sumi saw the creature preparing for another charge, having retreated a slight distancet. The hole in the monster's chest must've been the cause.

Readying another arrow, doubts started creeping up on Sumi. This was supposed to be _practice_ and her leg felt like someone had driven a knife through it repeatedly. Was training this dangerous really better and safe? She was already in a rough state after the tail slam; what if some accident happened and they _couldn't_ be healed in time? Fate said the monsters couldn't deal lethal damage, but with the pulsing pain coming from her leg and threats like those sharp claws…

At the same time, Fate's words rung in her ears and she couldn't so easily toss them aside. The Vertex weren't going to give them the luxury of a break. Were this a real battle, there would be no mercy or chance to say she had enough. Her friends were enduring this same training too, and Gin had even been ready to fight to her last breath against the Vertex, when herself and Sonoko had been too injured to fight. And even _those_ extreme injuries had been healed.

The wyvern created a storm of wind with a powerful flap of its wings, darting straight toward Sumi with a blue glow around its mouth.

At the thought of her friend, Sumi felt a new drive and energy empowering her limbs. Gin hadn't backed down when starring down 3 Vertex. Gin hadn't wavered, even with horrific injuries. If Gin could soldier on under those bleak conditions, she could endure this.

With renewed vigor, Sumi jumped to the right, charging her arrow all the while, narrowly avoiding the wyvern's freezing breath as it raced past where she'd been a moment ago.

Rolling, Sumi planted her right foot into the ground to steady herself, but with only one leg it wasn't enough and she tumbled into a painful landing on her back. But she couldn't let this pain slow her for even a second. Looking up, her foe had already reoriented themselves for another dive.

Moving once more, Sumi threw herself off the edge of the root just as the wyvern's clawed foot dug into her former resting place and wrapped its sharp toes from one end to the other.

Spinning as she dropped downward toward another root, Sumi pulled back her bow string with all the strength her limbs could muster and fired. She had no specific target on the monster, no time to aim, no weak-spots she looked for. But she knew one thing for certain. Against a target this big and this close…

She couldn't miss.

Her arrow struck true and embedded itself deeply into wyvern's right claw, glowing with an intensifying blue light that preluded the explosion to come. A perfect shot!

Just as a satisfied smile started to grace her face, it was soon replaced by a pained cry and another jolt of fire shooting through her leg as she roughly fell onto another root. But this time, Sumi couldn't force herself up so easily. She'd risen to her feet with some effort before, but every attempt to stand now sent an increasingly intense surge up her body that threatened to make her knees give out and drop her to the floor again.

"Sumi!" Gin's voice shouted, followed by her deftly landing beside Sumi, holding a single axe in one hand compared to her customary two, and wrapping the other around Sumi's back to help support her. "What's wrong?"

"M-my leg." Sumi muttered in response, just barely managing to stay upright with Gin's support

Before Gin could reply, a thunderous beat of wind drew both their attention.

Just a short distance away, stood the furious looking wyvern, missing part of its left hand and an immense ball of rapidly expanding ice above its mouth. The sheer scale of the impending attack already rivaled the wyvern's entire being in size, yet it continued to swell with a terrifying pace, looking more like a small mountain of frost, than any projectile.

"Dammit..." Gin muttered apprehensively, shifting her hold on Sumi to tightly around her waist. "Time to move, hang on!"

Dematerializing her weapon, Sumi firmly gripped onto Gin's body and braced herself.

Leaping with all the strength she could muster on such short notice, Gin shot over 100 meters to the side.

An instant later, Sumi felt a tremendous air pressure slam into her and Gin as the mountain of ice hit the ground, further tossing them through the air, and breaking the glacier into large chunks that scattered themselves across the landscape and sky.

"Incoming!" Sumi shouted as a large piece of ice rocketed straight on a collision course, her grip on Gin reflexively tightening. It'd hit them just when they landed at this rate!

"Crap, this is gonna be rough!" Gin hissed, realigning herself to face the flying projectile and preparing to counter Just before her feet hit the floor, Gin swung her weapon with a furious shout and cleaved cleanly through the attack.

Immediately digging her heels into the ground, Gin was sent skidding along the length of the root. The further force from the midair impact throwing off her landing plans and almost sending her tumbling onto her back, but the girl's strength refused to give and she mercifully came to a stop.

"Sumi, can you stan-"

Behind Gin, the wyvern crashed into the ground like a lightning bolt, its remaining hand pulled back and ready to strike.

"GIN!"

Turning her head around, Gin's eyes immediately shot wide. Gritting her teeth, Gin raised her axe in a defensive fashion, but she wasn't going to be quick enough. Adjusting her hold on Sumi in the same breath, Gin moved her body to shield Sumi if her axe couldn't stop it.

Tensing up, Sumi braced herself for another painful impact.

Instead of another strike, Sumi heard a familiar sound, followed by a loud thud that briefly shook her surroundings. Opening her eyes, Sumi saw their leader standing in front of them with one hand holding her shield, the hilt braced against her back to compensate for using one arm, and holding Gin's second axe in her other. Even still, her body visibly trembled from the hit.

"Wasshi, are you ok?" Sonoko questioned with concern, gritting her teeth through the wyvern's strike and with a tense look in her eyes.

"I'll be fine, i-it's just hard to stand." Sumi responded with a wince. She felt so _useless_ right now. Against Vertex, she could usually stay at ranged and snipe safely, but facing a foe this agile, she'd only force her teammates to defend her like this! She may have had the only ranged weapon of the trio, but how could she use it effectively now, especially when the beast could use attacks that could require them to dodge instead of guard?

"Then, we'll retreat and regroup." Sonoko declared, ready to leap back. They needed some breathing room. Sumi couldn't fire her bow while being carried, and both Sonoko and Gin's hands were tied holding things.

Before anyone could move, a small blast of frost shot from the wyvern's mouth, a block of ice encasing the front of Sonoko's shield and rooting it into the ground beneath her. Following up, the beast pivoted in a manner Sumi immediately recognized and caused her to gasp at what was coming. "It's attacking with the tail!" Panicking, the girl shouted, mind briefly flashing back to when Scorpio had done a similar move. Sonoko wouldn't be able to shield them like this!

"Not this time!" Gin fiercely roared with a determined face. Raising the axe in her other hand, Gin swung downward at the oncoming tail with every ounce of strength she could summon, severing the appendage in two.

Howling, the wyvern immediately retracted the remains of its tail and took to the skies with a flap of its wings, retreating backwards.

"Good job, Mino-san~!" Sonoko cheered, before giving one strong tug on her shield and detaching it from the ice with a grunt.

"Thanks, Sonoko." Gin shot back with a small grin, before turning her attention back to Sumi. "Think you can stand, or should we get you somewhere safer?"

"I can still fight!" Sumi immediately and resolutely responded, working her way out of Gin's grip and standing under her own strength again, keeping weight off her injured leg. She refused to be a burden to her team over something this small, when Gin endured far worse.

"Alright, but don't stress too much, we can keep his attention off you." Gin replied while taking her second axe from Sonoko, an undercurrent of worry in her words. "Guess we just need to wrap this up, then." Immediately shifting back to her usual fiery demeanor, Gin confidently starred back at their foe.

The beast hovering a distance away in the air, Sumi saw the massive monster looked far from the imposing figure it struck before. Part of its upper torso had a hole blown open. Where a claw previous rested at the tip of a wing, there was now nothing. Lastly, the imposing tail that'd been long enough to wrap around its body to the front of its face, now only extended slightly past the legs. The wyvern stubbornly refused to die, but another solid hit looked like it'd be sufficient to slay the beast for good. But getting that hit in would be difficult for one reason.

The wyvern was charging up another massive mountain of ice.

"It's doing that again..." Gin grumbled, getting ready to pick up Sumi and move again.

"Wait!" Sonoko quickly interjected, smashing her weapon against the ground to shatter the ice clinging to it. "I have an idea."

Sumi and Gin both leaned in expectantly.

"Mino-san, do you think you could reach it if you kicked off my shield and I gave you a little push~?" Sonoko quickly asked, knowing they wouldn't have long before the attack came flying.

"Yeah, he doesn't look that far. Not sure if I can get through all that ice in time, though..."

"Not a problem~!" Sonoko, undeterred, confidently fired back. "Wasshi, shoot a volley of arrows at the big ball in a couple different spot. Ice is fragile, so they should explode a bit deeper inside, and break it up into smaller pieces. Mino-san should be able to get through easier then, especially with her fire. I'll stay here with you to keep any bits of ice away while shooting~."

"Understood, Sonocchi." Sumi gave an affirming nod, materializing several arrows in her bow and taking aim. The wyvern seemed to be playing more defensively now and pinning down an enemy that quick and with air superiority could've been difficult. This plan was definitely their best shot to kill it.

"Alright, let's do it!" Gin eagerly said, taking a position in front of Sonoko's shield.

In the time they'd discussed Sonoko's plan, the ball of ice had expanded to a terrifying size, easily dwarfing its summoner by five times over and ready to crush everything in its path.

With a powerful heave of its head, the wyvern hurled the mountain of frost with surprising speed, straight on a crash course with the three Heroes.

In response, Sumi let her arrows fly to intercept the oncoming attack.

"Mino-san, now!" Sonoko ordered, angling her shield to point toward the ice and wyvern.

"On it!" Gin responded, backflipping onto Sonoko's shield and readying herself to rocket forth.

The next phase of their plan all happened in the same instant, Sumi's arrows burrowed themselves into the sphere, Sonoko thrust forward to give Gin further momentum, and Gin kicked off the shield with all the strength in her legs, igniting the fire within her weapon while she flew.

All at once, several lights exploded within the holes Sumi's arrows made, spreading cracks across the humongous ball, before violently fragmenting the attack like a pane of shattered glass, showering the area with the remains of the sphere and deafening sound of the structure crumbling.

Broken into far smaller pieces, Gin effortlessly barreled through the remnants of the ice with her fiery weapons and out the back, emerging straight in front of the wyvern with a confident grin on her face.

"Got you now!" Spinning to gather further momentum as she fell, Gin swung both her weapons downward with amazing force.

The wyvern formed a quick barrier as a token defense, but the outcome was decided the second Gin attacked. Her first slash through the barrier without the slightest resistance, while her second carved deeply into the beast's neck. But, Gin wasn't done. The girl relentlessly sliced at her last enemy over and over again, dicing the wyvern into as many pieces as Sumi's arrow split the ice into as they fell back toward the earth.

But Sumi couldn't see the end of Gin's barrage, a massive chunk of ice barreled straight toward her and Sonoko's position, forcing her to limp behind Sonoko's shield for safety and brace herself.

Merely a moment later, the remnants of the ice ball collided with Sonoko's shield, briefly shaking the area and forcing a grunt from Sonoko while she resolutely gripped her spear, not letting the impact budge her more than an inch.

Seconds ticked by and the sound of crashing ice assaulted Sumi's ears, drowning out any other sounds. She nearly felt herself collapse from the impacts, only just managing to stay upright with Sonoko's staff to support herself against and biting her lip from the pain shooting up her injured leg.

"Is... Is it over?" Sumi cautious asked once the rumbling had stopped. Glancing around, the Hero saw scattered bits of ice in various sizes scattered around much of the arena.

"I think so, Wasshi." Sonoko replied, breathing a sigh of relief, letting her shoulders slump and leaning against her spear for extra support. "Let's go check on Mino-san. Need me to carry you~?" Sonoko's tone returned close to its normal casualness, yet it fell just short of her customary energy.

Briefly glancing toward her leg, Sumi nodded with some concern on her face. She knew Sonoko had taken some solid hits earlier in the fight, and considering how much her own injury throbbed, she wondered how much her leader was trying to hide. "Sonocchi, what about you, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine~." Sonoko answered dismissively, standing up straighter and dematerializing her weapon to pick up Sumi. "Just a little tired~."

"Hey!"

Before Sumi could respond to Sonoko, Gin's voice cut through the air, soon accompanied a distant thud. Looking at the source, Sumi saw her friend sailing through the air toward them.

"Mino-san~!" Sonoko cheerfully greeted with a wave as Gin landed.

"How are you two doing?" Gin asked with some concern, wasting no time checking on her friends

"Fine~."

"It's nothing too troubling, aside form my leg." Sumi replied. She wondered how Gin was fairing, but the girls demeanor didn't worry her much. The axe using Hero looked like she'd barely suffered any injuries, and Sumi liked to think she'd gotten decent at telling when her friends were trying not to make each other worried.

"Yeah… That should get healed." Gin commented, glancing toward where everyone had initially teleported to, only to raise an eyebrow. "Wait, where'd they go?"

"Right here." Negi's voice answered.

Glancing to the, Sumi saw her teacher and the two mages standing on one of the roots a couple meters away. Masuzu and Negi looked a touch concerned, where's Fate wore his almost omnipresent neutral expression.

"First thing's first, let's take care of your injuries." Negi added, moving next to Sumi and crouching near her injured leg, while Fate moved over to Sonoko. A small green light surrounded both of their hands as the healing magic began working. "Pay attention to the feeling of the magic if you can, I'd like to take a moment to discuss healing magic after this."

Despite Negi's instructions, Sumi felt some resistance in herself toward the idea, thoughts drifting away from the tingling in her leg, from the feeling of the bone stitching itself back into place. She'd agreed to give Negi a chance to explain himself, especially after promises of seeing Kyoto with her own eyes, and the Taisha had approved of making this part of their training, but even despite that, Sumi couldn't fully bring herself onboard with the idea. As useful as the magic was, she never liked things of western origin much. Fighting these monsters was useful for training absolutely, but there had to be a line _somewhere._

"There, all done." Negi commented with a smile as the glow faded, standing back on his feet. "How do you two feel?"

Putting weight back onto her injured leg, it felt almost good as new to the girl. There was a trace of lingering soreness, but otherwise it felt fine. She had to admit, even if she may not have liked Negi much or where these abilities came from, they _were_ incredibly useful and twice now, they'd healed injuries which could've taken some time to recover from, including ones Gin could've died from. Would she _really_ place personal pride over her friend's safety?

No, absolutely not.

"Much better. Thank you, Negi-san." Sumi replied with a relieved sigh.

Sonoko echoed a similar sentiment.

"Minowa-san, what about you?" Negi asked, turning his attention toward the other.

"Nothing to complain about here." Gin replied with a proud smirk.

Satisfied, Negi returned with a nod. "Good, then we're almost done here."

"I've seen the recordings of your battles, but it's different to see it in person. You three have come far with your teamwork.." Masuzu interjected with a soft smile.

The praise brought a smile to Sumi and her comrade's faces. This had been their first extended fight since the training camp some weeks back. Capricorn had been a quick engagement, while the battle against 3 Vertex at once had become a worst case scenario in short order. Hearing that comment from their teacher and this victory, even if it was practice… It was a reassuring feeling.

"I'll admit, you dealt with those monsters quicker than I expected. Even a higher class mage would've struggled against just one of them." Fate commented, his voice ever so slightly less abrasive than Sumi was used to.

Was even _Fate_ complimenting them?

"If it was this easy, then perhaps I should create stronger creatures..."

Ah, she knew it couldn't last.

"Before we finish, I'd like to briefly touch on healing magic while it's topical." Negi quickly interjected, face a hint exasperated. Before he continued, the child fell back into his customary teaching voice and posture. "Healing magic, while quite useful, also needs to be treated with some caution when it comes to more severe injuries and outside experienced hands. It's possible one can put _too much_ power into a healing spell when helping another. While healing the injury and better than leaving severe wounds untreated, it could cause some negative side effects from the excess mana, like if one became sick, nothing too severe in my experience."

Pausing a beat to allow everyone to process the information, Negi continued. "Think of it something like this. Your body regulates and produces certain chemicals without issue, but if it suddenly produced too much, it could cause problems."

Sumi listened attentively to the other's words. The information was certainly good to note. How risky was this magic then? She had seen Negi and Fate use it without issue plenty of times, but considering the unique situation of her group and what happened when Gin tried it while transformed, cautious was healthy.

"So… Like too much of a good thing then?" Gin asked slowly, the question marks practically visible above her head.

"Essentially." Negi answered with a nod. "I had it happen with myself once. Expending some energy will solve the issue. However, while this normally is a rare concern, considering the unique circumstances, I wouldn't advise trying to practice healing magic unsupervised much for now. It's best if you get a more solid grasp on how to control spells as a precaution. If the Taisha approve of some self-study. Any further questions?" Glancing around, Negi asked.

No one answered the mage.

"In that case, I suppose we're done for the day. Fate can send you directly home."

Taking that as a cue, the person sized black key materialized once more in front of Fate's hands, glowing briefly. **"Relocate."**

* * *

Hours later, Sumi rested in her room, preparing herself for bed. It'd been a long day and more intense than their usual training for the Hero, but she'd soldiered through it. She wondered what kind of routine further practice would follow when it came to this kind of practice. It seemed the Taisha were also being cautious and experimenting with how much room to give the mages, much of it felt up in the air.

But, before she could get into her bed, the girl heard her phone ringing. Curious, Sumi saw that it was Sonoko calling her. Somewhat odd, usually the girl simply texted through the messenger app the Taisha made for Heroes.

"Good evening, Sonocchi." Sumi warmly greeted.

"Heeeey, Wasshi~." Came Sonoko's sleepy voice from the phone.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Sumi asked curiously.

"What'd you think of today's training?"

The question got a raised eyebrow from Sumi. "It… was more intense than I expected. But, as long as they can ensure it remains safe..."

"Yeaaaah, it was pretty tough~. But, it's good practice. I hope they'll let us practice some magic, it looks fun~."

Sumi frowned lightly at that topic coming up once again. Even if she would learn it for the sake of her friends, it didn't mean she had to love using it. "It's useful..."

"Something wrong, Wasshi?" Sonoko questioned with concern.

"No, I'm fine." Sumi answered back with a sigh. "It's what the Taisha decided. And, if we could learn skills like that, especially healing magic, then maybe we won't have to worry about something like before happening again…."

A silence quickly fell over the conversation after Sumi finished.

"… That's good to hear, Wasshi." Sonoko finally said, her voice a hint more serious than Sumi was used to in casual discussion, but at the same time, she sounded at ease.

"Sonocchi?"

"That's it~. Just wanted to see what you thought about all this too and say goodnight~." Sonoko followed up, a soft yawn escaping her mouth afterward. "Goodnight, Wasshi..." From her voice, it already sounded like Sonoko was somehow drifting into sleep.

"Goodnight, Sonocchi." Sumi said with an amused smile before hanging up. While her leader's habit of falling asleep so suddenly could be a little annoying sometimes, it was also kind of funny how she could manage so easily almost _anywhere._

Putting her phone down, a yawn worked its way out of Sumi's own mouth. Slipping into her own bed, Sumi closed her eyes. Everyone had a long road ahead.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Alright, it's been a while. My beta reader suffered a horrible computer crash that took a while to deal with, and I figured to let it go through them, since it's been a while anyway. However, that's not the only reason this has taken so long, because I have an announcement. For a while now recent events with the YuYuYu franchise have kinda drained some of my enthusiasm for it, and mustering up the motivation to continue writing for it has been a little hard, in particular, the last few weeks. I actually got quite a bit of the chapter done in the first month after 8 was posted, but after that everything coming out progressively didn't help and I lost my drive. Despite being close to done, I actually considered making this announcement anyway, but I felt it wouldn't be fair after waiting so long to do that, so I managed to get this out. That announcement?

I'm putting this fic on indefinite hiatus for now. I already had update problems, and now I can't even pretend to try and keep things going at the moment. I want to make it clear, **I am not canceling or abandoning the fic.** This is just a hiatus, my hope is to come back to this someday, whenever that may be. I just cannot summon up the will to try writing with my current feelings on the franchise. Sorry about this, hope it'll be sooner, rather than later.


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHORS NOTES:**

Hey everyone, been a while hasn't it? The story is off hiatus now, and I'm sure anyone who's been waiting for an update is eager to read, so I won't take much of your time, but just wanted to make a quick note.

Sorry about the update only being a shorter chapter after such a long delay. I originally planned on making one larger update, actually two chapters ahead in terms of writing, but I just found out about some stuff that could make my next few months pretty turbulent, so I think it's better to have consistent chapters for a next few weeks instead of dumping some now and then potentially going months without an update AGAIN, but do let me know what you prefer so I can account for it if the situation arises in the future. Either way, Chapter 11 will be going up once I get it back from my beta reader, which should be within the week tops.

That's it! Hope you enjoy the story. As always, feedback welcomed.

* * *

"He wasn't kidding when he said there'd be a lot of studying..." Gin grumbled at her book with an annoyed expression.

It wasn't long after their initial magic lesson, that the Taisha had approved Negi's suggestion and some self-study would be allowed. However, it did come with one notable condition in that they would have to report what they practiced and any results which came from them. Gin wasn't the most eager about all this extra work, but it was summer and while they did have summer homework, she didn't need to worry _as_ much about it bogging her down. Besides, studying history didn't teach you how to do all those cool looking things with magic, an incentive which gave her motivation to jump right into working. However, even with this factor and apparently getting a massive head start on learning, the task was trying for Gin. _Testing_ her magic after reading was fun, the actual studying was far from it.

Still, she'd managed to learn that fire spell Negi had demonstrated almost immediately and to where she could do it without the wand too! Afterwards, moving onto how to move objects around with her mind, which annoyingly had taken a fair bit longer. The first one was _Ardescat_ , if she remembered right. However, the second one was something different, an unnamed spell the book called it? Those were apparently weak compared to 'named' spells, not that Gin really saw a difference, but could be used for a lot of stuff compared to a named one, which did a specific thing. Ah, well, as long as it worked.

"Now, let's see if this works..." Gin murmured, standing with wand in hand. After learning how to move objects around with her mind, an idea had struck her. Make the household objects come to life and do some cleaning for her, just like she'd seen in a movie somewhere. Gin loved to help her family around the house and had fun doing it, but if she could use magic to get part of it done faster, she'd have more free time to spend with them. This would be the perfect justification to take a break now to play with her siblings, instead of cleaning too, if it worked.

Looking at the motionless vacuum, a rather basic one with a nozzle connected to a larger body where the mess went, across from her, Gin pointed her wand at it and focused on building up energy around her. After a moment, she focused her will into directing the energy to 'push' the switch into the 'on' position.

With no visible force, the vacuum switched on and started making noise.

Gin couldn't help grinning ear to ear at the sight. She'd already moved a few things in her room, but she still couldn't help feeling giddy every time she did this. It was just so _cool_ to be able to do this without any need to transform. The powers gifted by the Shinju were sacred and important things to be respected, not used so frivolously, but she could do whatever she wanted with magic.

Still, Gin tempered her excitement for the moment. She hadn't tried moving something this big, and then came trying to make it do stuff without her actively focusing on it. It might've been a bit of a leap, but Negi said they could probably learn much faster, and she'd mastered the fire spell easily enough. It was worth at least giving this a try, nothing ventured nothing gained!

Repeating the process once more, this time Gin focused toward trying to command the vacuum to move across the floor, moving the practice wand in tandem. Annoyingly, Gin felt some kind of 'resistance' when attempting to move the appliance. It wasn't entirely unlike when trying to physically lift something you really had to put your back into carrying. Except, this one picked at her mind as well, like it was difficult to focus precisely

For a few minutes, Gin summoned up as much willpower as she could muster toward telling the stubborn vacuum to 'move', but no matter how much she tried, the girl couldn't get it to move, at least not all of it. When trying to move the whole vacuum, it might skirt a few centimeters at best, then stop. So much for her idea of making it clean automatically.

Starting to get a headache, Gin relented for the moment and tried moving only the nozzle, to which she had far more success, the device starting to move with the motions of her wand. It took some effort and Gin's mental abilities couldn't move it with the finesse her physical ones could, but she was actually _doing_ it!

For a short time, Gin continued trying to maneuver the vacuum head around, slowly getting used to the feeling of moving it this way, adjusting her motions and gradually gaining more control over the exact manner she wanted to move it. Right now, this certainly wasn't as quick as doing it with her own two hands, but Gin felt like she was starting to get a decent 'feel' on how magic worked, and enough practice would let her do it faster.

Eventually, Gin cleaned up everything the vacuum nozzle could reach from its stationary position, and she commanded the appliance to turn off. She needed to take a quick look and make sure cleaning this way was as thorough as it was cool.

"Nee-chan!" The voice of one of her brothers, five-year-old Tetsuo, brought Gin's attention away from her inspection.

"How'd you do that?" Tetsuo asked with a wonder filled expression, the toys in his hands forgotten for the moment. "Is it that new magic thingy?"

Confidently smirking, Gin gave a nod. "Yep! I can move stuff with my mind." Feeling eager to show off a bit and please her brother at the same time, Gin pointed her wand toward the toy plane in Tetsuo's hand.

The toy responded to the direction and wiggled out of Tetsuo's hand, hovering in the air briefly, before floating upward and turning toward his amazed face. "Nee-chan, show me how to do that!"

"Hrm..." Gin hummed in thought. As much as she did want to grant her brother's request, she didn't think it would be quite so easy. Negi did say the most basic spell could sometimes take months of practice to do right, and even with her head start it still took some practice. But, that didn't mean there weren't ways of making him happy.

"I can't really show you how to do this yet, but lemme show you something else that's cool." Gin spoke with a confident grin. She still had some of the room left to clean, but she could spare a few minutes for her brother. Besides, when so excited about it, how could she possibly say no?

"So, you just take it like this..." Gin instructed, handing her eager brother the wand, clasping his hand in her own to direct it.

"Now, say it just like I do." Gin continued, guiding the movements of the wand, slowly speaking the chant for her brother to copy.

" _P-prac big ner."_ The young child struggled to say the foreign words right, even with Gin's help.

" _ **Ardescat."**_ Gin finished for her brother, causing the familiar tiny flame to appear at the wand's tip. "Hey, good job!" Gin praised her brother with a wide grin. Sure, she'd been the one to do it, but it made them smile. It wasn't like she couldn't teach him how to _really_ do it himself someday though, right?

Tetsuo looked at the fire with a gleeful face. "That's cool!" Curiosity seeming to get the better of the child, and they slowly reached their free hand toward the flame.

"Woah, wait a second." Gin said, extinguishing the flame. "That's real fire, don't wanna burn yourself." Gin reprimanded, playfully tousling her brother's hair and earning an annoyed response from them.

"Nee-chan needs to finish up cleaning a bit. So, we can play in a few minutes, alright?" Gin added, moving over to the toy she'd levitated earlier and handing it back to Tetsuo.

"Alright!" Her brother eagerly replied, moving out of the room. "Show me more stuff to do! I'll get better than you!" Tetsuo shot before moving off to do their own business.

"I'd like to see you try!" Gin called back with an amused grin. Her grin, however, soon faded when she refocused back on the current task. She really had to finish this up so she could play with Tetsuo and make it to Sonoko's house on time later. Sumi was going to be mad at her again if she wasn't ready.

* * *

Sumi sat at her desk, a tense look on her face and several objects neatly arranged in front of her. A blank book and pencil for notes, along with the book and wand Negi had supplied for studying magic, both expected objects to rest on a desk. However, there was a set of three other items that stood out of place next to the pair of books: a knife, bandages, and rags.

Negi had warned the Heroes about practicing healing magic unsupervised and the possible risks of using it in unskilled hands. Normally, Sumi was always an advocate for following the rules, but she couldn't push the idea away any longer. Heroes were strong and could recover from injuries far quicker than a normal person, even more severe injuries that would scar a normal person and take weeks to heal, would take less than half the time and leave barely a trace. But, that kind of power wasn't comparable to the healing abilities Vertex possessed. Of all the powers the mages had demonstrated, being able to quickly heal severe injuries was by far the one Sumi believed most useful. Negi and Fate wanted to leave as quickly as possible, so the sooner she learned to master this magic, the sooner she could feel safer after the mages left.

Still, Sumi wasn't charging recklessly into this task. She'd assembled tools to manually treat wounds and first spent much of her time practicing basic spells since receiving the magic book. Getting a brief flicker of fire, like Sonoko had produced, had been easy, but to make the flame stay until she willed it to vanish? That had taken longer than she'd have liked, if nothing compared to the _months_ it supposedly took normally. Still, she'd done much studying and gotten a good feel for magic, and healing a small cut was even part of the beginning spells. She was confident enough to give healing a try.

Taking a deep breath, Sumi gripped the knife in her right hand and raised it up toward her left, holding the blade against her index finger. Bracing herself, the girl slowly cut the knife against her fingertip, feeling a prick of minor pain shoot through her hand and seeing a small dab of red start leaking out of the wound.

Setting down the knife, Sumi picked up the practice wand. She hated using foreign words and avoided it whenever possible, but none of the spells she'd done so far that had a chant, could be done without her using one, and simply speaking it in Japanese had failed to produce results, a frustrating fact she'd have to ask Negi about later. But, she was doing this for the sake of her friend, something she internally repeated a few times for encouragement. Besides, she'd eventually get to where chants weren't needed, based on what the girl saw the mages do.

" _Practe... bigi... nar...,"_ Sumi spoke slowly, forcing the words out like it invoked a curse, moving her wand with far more grace than she spoke her words. But even still, she forced herself forward, remembering how she felt experiencing being healed, drawing upon that to further guide and shape the spell into the manner she desired. " _Tui gratia... Jupiter gratia sit_ _ **...**_ " Responding to her words, a small green glow started to appear at the tip of Sumi's wand.

" _ **Cura."**_

The same glow enveloped the cut on Sumi's finger, and the girl saw the wound close before her very eyes, leaving only a trace amount of blood that had leaked from the cut before Sumi healed it.

"Huh…?" This made Sumi pause and bring her finger closer to her eyes for inspection. Had it… really been that easy? The other spells, while not overly difficult to perform, had still taken her some practice to reach a level she felt in total control of the spell. Yet, this one felt far easier to cast and control, not exactly in a manner she'd describe as second nature, but there was so little resistance in directing the spell.

Wiping away what little blood was left, Sumi carefully scanned where she'd cut herself, positive she'd find at least some trace of her wound, but to her growing surprise, not even a scar remained.

Looking for an answer, Sumi thought back toward her studying. She remembered the book mentioning everyone possessed a natural affinity toward certain types of magic that would make learning spells of that nature much easier, Negi possessing one for lightning, while Fate aligned toward earth. If this spell felt so much easier than the others, did this mean she had one toward healing magic? She had to test this.

Pausing her experimenting briefly, Sumi stopped to note down her progress, as per Taisha instructions and for her own sake, formulating her next plan. While this spell had been surprisingly easy and healed quite well, it'd been after much practice with some other beginner spells. Perhaps this felt easier because she had more practice than when first attempting other simple spells, like the fire one. Or, maybe this spell was generally a far more simple one under normal conditions. After all, Negi had said their circumstances were unique and required adjusted training.

Taking her wand in hand once more, Sumi cast _Ardescat,_ the first spell she'd tried to learn. As expected, it was easier to produce and maintain the spell than initial attempts. However, the spell still lack the same natural ease she felt when healing herself earlier.

Recording her experiments and observations once more, Sumi smiled to herself. This had to mean she possessed some natural affinity toward healing magic! Sumi wasn't sure if she would ever be the powerhouse Gin or strategist Sonoko was. However, she knew she could greatly help her team this way and not worry about holding anyone back. She wondered what kind of magic her friends would lean toward…

But, that was a thought she could consider later. The group were meeting up shortly at Sonoko's house, and they could share their progress then. For now, Sumi knew she had to keep studying. It'd been some time since the Vertex attacked, and when combined with oracle indicating the encounter would be special, Sumi couldn't quite shake the sinking feeling in her chest, not too unlike the weird one she got before Sonoko and her split up from Gin the day before the field trip…

* * *

To say Sonoko was having fun with magic would've been an understatement- she _loved_ all the new toys it gave her to work with. She'd started with some of the recommended basics, like the spells to make fire and a ball of light, which had been oddly difficult next to everything else, she saw Negi use. However, after getting the fundamentals down, she'd branched off into things that personally interested her, and one section instantly drew her. Illusions.

Sonoko possessed a natural gift when it came to her hobby of writing, but though not _bad,_ she was actually good at her cutesy art style, Sonoko didn't have quite the same level of skill in drawing. But with illusions, she could take the images for her story ideas out of her head and see exactly how they'd really look with her own eyes. She couldn't wait to show her friends when they arrived.

Still... Though it'd been easy to pick up, even with illusions being comparatively simple magic, she always felt like something was _off_ when looking at and focusing on her creations, and she couldn't fix that no matter what she tried. She thought maybe it was due to her still learning, but when she had tried making one of the house working think she had Sancho, when she truthfully had nothing, they'd completely fallen for it. The book _had_ mentioned that illusions were incredibly basic and thus easy to get around for anyone with a little magical training, but she didn't know anything to deal with them. Maybe it had to do something with her status as a Hero and the Shinju's power, it still had some residual effects which let them pick up magic so fast, after all.

Oh, well. They were almost lifelike and it didn't make filling her room up with various colored Sancho duplicates and not needing to worry about cleanup or storage, any less fun. The whole thing was like something out of her dreams.

"Even if it's an illusion, it still feels so soft~..." Sonoko sighed with a content smile, sitting on a pile of her cat pillows that rested on her bed. Even despite knowing they were fake, Sonoko was still quite surprised to learn the illusions _felt_ almost lifelike, if off by a tiny bit. In reality, she was just resting on her bed, the same as it always was, but to her eyes and sense of touch, it felt like anything but that.

But, magic was also going to be something they used in combat, and Sonoko knew she needed to practice something that might be useful in battle. As much as she personally loved it, Sonoko had doubts about such basic illusions working on the Vertex if even she could see through it. And she knew just what to practice.

The book had mentioned everyone who did magic possessed an affinity for certain types of magic, making it far easier to cast. But, at the same time, it could also make using spells from the polar opposite element, a bit more difficult. A mage with a strong affinity toward wind, would have trouble with earth. In other words, if she had issues using light based magic, then maybe she had an affinity toward shadow magic.

Sonoko took her attention away from the Sancho bed, and glanced around her room for ideas. Fitting her family's social status, her room was quite an extravagant one. Extremely spacious, to where 2-3 bedrooms from an "average" household could've easily fit in this part of it, never mind additions like the closet. The furnishings were of equally high class, with much of her shelf space filled with various things related to her interests, ranging from cute looking toys to mementos from her times with Sumi and Gin. She even had a few pictures taken when Sumi and Sonoko dressed up Gin, and then Sumi herself, besides the mirror in her room. Being in a rich family, her parents got her anything she asked for even with an offhand comment, but it would've been nice if they spent a little more time with her personally now and again.

But, Sonoko brushed the thought away for the moment, refocusing on the present when an idea struck her. Taking wand in hand and concentrating on the shadow cast by a nightstand, Sonoko began weaving a spell. Each element had their own areas they excelled or focused on and from her studying the elements, shadow magic largely involved creating constructs out of darkness. Where's someone using wind magic could do something like form the wind into a barrier in front of them, one working with shadows could turn the darkness into worn armor. The idea felt stuck her as possibly similar to how her spear worked, it could take all sorts of shapes, even less conventional ones, such as when it'd become a flight of stairs for Sumi against the Capricorn Vertex.

Drawing upon her experience and feelings when shaping her spear, Sonoko directed her will at the shadow, aiming for something simple. To her delight, the girl felt the darkness respond with surprising ease, a thin line starting to emerge from it. Eager to get a closer look at the process, Sonoko leaned forward, putting her hand onto one of the Sanchos comprising her bed in her eyes.

And directly onto the open air in reality.

With a surprised shout, Sonoko lurched forward and straight off the side of her bed, impacting the floor and the raised shadow face first with a loud _thud,_ immediately undoing any active magic.

"Ow…" Sonoko moaned, sitting up and rubbing the red spot on her head, that shadow construct thing she'd made had been hard as a rock. She'd wanted to be able to see her illusions in the same light as reality for fun, but not like _this._ At least she seemed able to trick herself if she wasn't focusing on it.

"Sonoko-sama." Came the voice of an older man, one of the many people working at her house, from outside her door. "Is everything alright?"

"Fiiiiine, just fine~." Sonoko casually answered back, standing up and dusting herself off. It was only a small bump, she'd dealt with far worse. Still, she wondered when the Heroes would learn some healing magic.

"Very well. I came here to tell you that your two friends have arrived."

That immediately brightened up Sonoko's mood. Gin and Sumi had planned to come over today, but was it really that time already? Perhaps she'd let the time slip while relaxing on the Sancho bed. "Oh! Let them in, I'll be right down!"

* * *

Mere minutes later, Sonoko was greeting her friends and showing them into her room. "Hey, Wasshi, Mino-san~. I wanna see what you guys learned with magic."

"Sonocchi… Wait a moment, what happened to your forehead?" Sumi asked, pausing at the entrance of Sonoko's room and giving her a concerned look.

"Space out trying magic?" Gin teased with a cheeky grin.

"Welllllll, maybe a little~." Sonoko answered with a sheepish look. She would often snooze a little at random times, but hurting herself had been a first.

Sumi sighed with frustration, producing her practice wand. "Hold still a moment, I think I can fix that."

" _Practe bigi nar."_ Speaking the words like she was attempting to squeeze water from a stone, Sumi began chanting, her wand glowing. _"Tui gratia Jupiter gratia sit. Cura."_

The moment Sumi finished speaking, Sonoko felt a warmth overcome the bump on her head, along with a soft green glow not unlike when she saw mages use healing magic. Almost as quickly as they came, the sensations faded, but, so too did any lingering bits of pain she felt from the injury. Reaching her hand up toward where the injury had been, Sonoko didn't feel anything wrong. Sumi had just _healed_ her. "Wasshi, was that..."

"Sumi, did you use healing magic just now?" Gin asked, her expression and tone a mixture of surprised and impressed.

"Y-yes." Sumi answered, looking a touch nervous with flushed cheeks, either from speaking the words, the sudden spotlight, or a combination. "I know what Negi-san said, but healing magic would be incredibly useful, and it was listed with the basic spells too…."

"Well, I think it worked great. I feel all better, thanks Wasshi~." Sonoko comforted with a smile and warm hug toward Sumi, which seemed to help relax the other girl. She knew the other girl had put away some of her pride to practice this, but actually seeing her use a spell, with a western chant no less, was a welcomed and reassuring sight that showed her dedication.

"Thanks, Sonocchi, I'm glad to hear it worked." Sumi said with a growing grin and more confidence seeping into her words.

"So, what else did you learn how to do?" Gin eagerly asked, making her way into Sonoko's room with the rest of the group.

"Well… I didn't practice too much, aside from the recommended ones and this. It just came naturally, so I focused on healing." Sumi answered, stowing her wand for the moment and opening the floor to her friends to share their experiences.

"Alright, then lemme show you what I can do!" Gin immediately jumped at the chance to show off and produced a small flame in her palm, without so much as a chant or aid of a wand, a confident smirk on her face.

Both Sonoko and Sumi leaned toward the flame, eyeing it with amazement, though the expression was far more pronounced on Sonoko's own face. "Ooooh, Mino-san, how'd you do that?"

"It's not that hard." Gin bragged. "Felt easy and I saw them use magic without anything special, so I tried it a few times and it worked!"

"I can't do that." Sumi commented, for some reason looking frustrated over the display. "Creating fire wasn't too difficult, but it still took some time to master it and the _words..._ "

Yep, even if Sumi was willing to use them, it didn't mean she had to like it. The spell chants were in another language, Latin the book had said, so Sumi must've been more than eager to move past chanting and do away with that fact. At least she was able to put her issues aside for the time.

"I bet Mino-san's good with fire~." Sonoko added. It made perfect sense if she thought about it.

"Yeah, just like with my axes. I use it with those, so no wonder this is easy." Gin commented, making the flame vanish and lowering her hand. But, she didn't stop there, instead taking out the wand given to her. "It's not as easy as fire, but check this out!"

Making a few motions with the wand, Gin pointed it toward Sancho, resting on Sonoko's bed. In response, the cat pillow suddenly started levitating in the air, slowly floating its way over toward the trio, moving in tune with Gin's wand.

"Sancho can fly! They're like a superhero now~." Sonoko exclaimed with a wonder filled voice. This gave her an idea to follow up with an outfit sometime. Add in a cape and cute costume, and Superhero Sancho would be complete.

"That's impressive Gin, but what made you look practice that kind of magic?" Sumi asked curiously, taking her eyes off the flying pillow and looking toward Gin.

"Oh, uh, well-" Gin replied, face shifting toward a sheepish one. "I was thinking if I could make some household tools move and clean on their own, it might give me a little more free time with my family and you guys."

Sumi responded with a sweet, if a bit embarrassed, smile.

"Wonder if I could make stuff do homework too..."

Which immediately turned into a scornful scowl.

"K-kidding, just kidding!" Gin quickly corrected with a defensive wave of her hands.

"Aww…. The mood was going so well and giving me ideas too." Sonoko commented with a disappointed frown, holding the now released from Gin's magic Sancho. A line like Gin's answer would've been a perfectly romantic one for her novels.

"S-Sonoko, come on! That's embarrassing!" Gin stammered, face turning bright red, already knowing exactly the machinations going on in Sonoko's mind.

"W-what about you, Sonocchi. What did you practice?" Sumi quickly stuttered out, seeing an easy way into another topic and instantly jumping onto it before either her or Gin got too flustered. What neither of them guessed was Sonoko could use these kinds of reactions anyway.

"Right. I'm good with fire, Sumi's got healing. Find anything that clicks with you?" Gin asked, shoving away her embarrassed feelings, instead replaced with that of curiosity.

"Welllllll~," Sonoko leisurely drew out her wand. "I was practicing a little with shadows."

This caused her friends to give her a curious and eager look, the only spell related to that element anyone remembered, had been Negi teleporting.

"But, I didn't have too much time to practice it." Sonoko finished, setting Sancho on a counter and earning deflated looks from her friends. "I _did_ learn how to do something else that's cool though~." Sonoko added, a gleeful sparkle overtaking her eyes as ideas bounced around her head at the perfect opportunity to show her skills. "I learned how to make illusions~!"

"Illusions?" Gin asked with an inquisitive look.

Sumi, on the other hand, had a gradually growing sense of unease quickly manifest on her face, already seeing where this was going. "Sonocchi… Why did you practice those..?"

"Wasshi, watch this!" Excitement and anticipation in her eyes, Sonoko pointed her wand at a confused looking Gin and worked her magic.

Before Sumi and Sonoko's very eyes, Gin's clothing transformed. Gone was her striped shirt and red jacket, replaced by a shoulderless white gown and long gloves that went just past her elbows. No more were her boyish shorts, instead changed into the lower half of the dress that extended to the floor. Completing the look perfectly, was a clear veil going down the back of Gin's head.

Sumi's expression rapidly shifted through a series of emotions, confusion over Sonoko's plans, realization of what just occurred, before finally settling on the same gleeful grin Sonoko's possessed. "S-Sonocchi, i-is that a w-wedding dress? W-When did you learn to do that?"

Gin similarly went through her own set of conflicting emotions at seeing what her friend did. Perplexed, then shocked, and finally extreme embarrassment on her bright red face. "S-Sonoko!? W-what the h-hell did you do?!"

"I learned illusions for things like this~?" Sonoko casually answered, wide grin never leaving her face. "Mino-san wanted to be a bride, and I always wondered what you'd look like in a wedding dress~."

"C-can you do a white kimono instead?" Sumi practically begged her friend, phone already in hand and taking pictures.

"Change it back!" Gin loudly protested, flailing her arms.

"I coooooould~." Sonoko mused, turning her eyes toward Sumi. "But first, it's Wasshi's turn~"

"Eh…?"

Before Sumi could process Sonoko's words, Gin's clothes had returned to normal, followed by Sumi's own transforming into that of a suit, a fancy black that matched her hair in coloration, with a white button up undershirt peeking out below the neck and sleeves, followed by equally classy black pants and shoes.

"Hrm… Looks like a little tight around the chest, but not too bad~." Sonoko mused, taking mental notes. Sumi had two _big_ issues which made finding some more form fitting outfits troubling, especially boy clothes.

Now, it was _Sumi's_ turn to turn bright red and _Gin's_ to get revenge. "S-S-Sonocchi, why a suit?!" Sumi stammered, looking down at herself in shock.

"I think it looks good on you, Sumi. But, I bet a western dress would be even better!" Gin shouted, grinning at how the tables had turned.

Sumi's eyes quickly shot toward Gin, with a mixture of horror and betrayal.

"It matches with Mino-san~." Sonoko stated without skipping a single beat. "But that's a good idea too, let's see…"

Yep, magic was definitely something Sonoko wouldn't get tired of.

* * *

 **SPELL TRANSLATIONS**

 **Ardescat:  
** English: **Ignite Flame.**

 **Cura  
** Latin: _Tui gratia Jupiter gratia sit._ _ **Cura!**_ **  
**English: _Let the grace of Jupiter be for your sake._ _ **Heal!**_


	11. Chapter 11

Looking back upon your own memories with this spell was always an interesting experience, but when it came to happier memories, like the Kyoto trip Negi was showing the Heroes now, along with Fate whom he'd brought to hopefully try and improve relations with, it could be quite fun. Everything was just like he remembered it, of course. An almost clear blue sky, the sun warmly shining down on everyone, neither too hot nor too cold, it'd been the perfect weather for his class to go sightseeing.

"And this was one of our first stops at Kyoto." Negi commented, gesturing to the temple structure everyone stood on. The architecture was that of a classic Japanese design, the veranda covering the main hall opening up to a wooden balcony and safety railing that overlooked a small forest of trees, with an amazing view of the many buildings comprising the massive city known as Kyoto, just a little further out.

"T-This is the Kiyomizu-dera!" Sumi exclaimed, practically physically buzzing with excitement over her surrounding, her attention jumping all across the area from moment to moment. "It was founded in the Heian period and they didn't use a single nail in building it! This part was used for plays and where 'to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu' came from!"

"I've never seen Wasshi this excited~." Sonoko commented, a likewise wonder filled look on her face as she observed her first look at the outside world in 'person', though her reaction was far less over the top next to Sumi's.

"Try not to explode, Sumi." Gin added with a slight grin at the usually most reserved of the trio being so excitable. "This is really something else though, magic's amazing..."

So absorbed into the temple, Sumi didn't even notice her friend's comments. "Look! It's the Otowa waterfall!

"I remember hearing something like that, Yue-san mentioned it when we came here." Negi said, watching Sumi's energy with a smile. If she already loved the trip this much, maybe they would be able to end it on better terms than most of their previous interactions led to.

"Yue-san?" Sonoko asked with a curious look.

On cue, Negi pointed toward a short girl with long, purple hair going down to her waist and bound at the very end, with a juice box in hand. She wore the standard Mahora summertime uniform. A white, short sleeved shirt covered by a maroon blazer and similarly colored ribbon at the neck, completed with a red colored plaid skirt.

" _Initially, this apparatus was built as a stage on which to perform Noh plays and dances for the temple's Kannon statue. And it has been designated as a national treasure." The girl spoke in a largely flat, matter-of-fact voice, before briefly repeating the information Sumi had just stated. ".. when there were in fact 234 recorded incidents of jumping off the stage. The survival rate was surprisingly high, 85%..."_

" _Uwah! There's a weirdo in our midst!" Another girl in the same uniform and possessing short black hair tied in a side ponytail, shouted with an aghast face._

" _Yue is a shrine and temple enthusiast." Another girl commented casually with a grin, wearing glasses and with dark green hair of a similar length to Yue's, though flowing freely down her back._

"She sounds like Wasshi going on about history if she was bored~." Sonoko observed with an amused look. "Your class looks fun~."

"There was never a dull moment with them." Negi replied, wistfully staring at the scene. It was a fond memory, but Negi couldn't avoid another pang of worry and homesickness caused by starring at it. He and Fate had been gone around 2 weeks now, and people must've _definitely_ started getting worried. Especially with The Lifemaker still an ever present danger, anyone vanishing would've set off alarm bells. The sooner he and Fate could return home and confirm everyone was okay, the better. Too much weight rested on his shoulders, and nothing would stop Negi from saving his father. The child had practically gone without rest since arriving in favor of making progress.

"Ooooooh, Mino-san, did you hear that? Something about love fortunes~." Sonoko playfully teased with an eager look toward Gin, the typical sparkle in her eyes indicating a new idea.

Oh, he must've gotten lost in thought for a moment too long. This was the part where Yue had mentioned the Jishu Shrine and love fortunes, which had made several people in his class descend on Negi like a pack of piranhas. If only he'd known everything he was in for at the time, he never was good at noticing those kind of hints, still wasn't despite getting _somewhat_ better, embarrassing as it was.

"Wasshi! Tell us about the love shrine!" Sonoko expectantly asked Sumi, between a few flustered words of protest from Gin.

"Oh, um. If I remember right…" Sumi paused for a moment, either recalling the information or deciding if telling Sonoko would end badly. "In the Jishu Shrine, there's a set of stones apart from each other, and if you walk from one to the other while not looking, your dreams of love will come true."

"Come on! Let's go see it~." Sonoko said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, pulling Gin along in the same manner the visions of Negi's class were tugging his past self toward the next stop.

"H-hey! Why do we have to stop there? There's a whole city to see!" Gin complained as the three followed the memory toward Sonoko's destination.

Fate took a few steps beside Negi, keeping pace with the child while they moved, eyeing the entire scene with a disinterested look. "Do you intend on sharing your entire trip?"

"Perhaps not the entire trip, but I can at least show most of the first day or two." Negi commented. Some parts of the trip got a little graphic or serious, and this was mainly for fun and to give the girls a chance to look at the outside world. Furthermore, this had been where he and Fate first met, yet on far from good terms. The relationship between Fate and the Heroes wasn't exactly the most _friendly,_ so the child didn't think it would be a good idea to share the first time Fate almost killed him, even if it was accidentally. Some rather _personal_ moments involving his class happened as well during this trip, and to Negi, it'd have been rude to share those so casually without the other person's approval.

"Come on, let's catch up." Negi said, walking quicker. He was starting to fall behind his eager group, just like the first time through Kyoto.

A minute later, the group had worked their way up the shrines steps and toward the pair of stones, Sonoko had been so keen on seeing. There was quite a large number of people either wandering around the area, checking out the various landmarks as Sumi was, or simply watching others take the challenge of walking between the rocks.

"Hey, Mino-san. Why don't you try taking the walk and make your dream come true~?" Sonoko playfully suggested with an eager look toward Gin.

"Dream?" Negi asked with a curious look.

"Nothing!" Gin quickly interjected, her face positively crimson. "B-Besides, it's just a memory and not the real thing, right? Probably wouldn't work anyway..." Gin added, calming down somewhat. Though, the girl couldn't help herself stealing a curious glance toward the rocks.

"Ah, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it." Negi reassured. He could get pretty embarrassed when it came to anything romance related to and understood if the girl had trouble speaking of it. She was even the same age as he was. "Someone had trapped the walkway anyway."

"Trapped…?" Sumi asked with a raised eyebrow, briefly brought out of her mania.

" _AAH!" Screamed two of Negi's class, as the ground beneath them suddenly collapsed into a pitfall almost as deep as they were tall._

" _Wh-What?! More frogs?!" One of them screamed in horror as tons of identical frogs lurked at the bottom of the pit, several leaping out amidst the confusion._

" _What happened?"_

" _Who would dig a pitfall here!?"_

" _A-Are you two alright?"_

 _Negi and several of his class quickly rushed over to the trap and started helping the two girls out of the pit._

" _What were you doing, class rep? I bet the gods punished you for cheating." An orange haired girl with twintails that stretched down to her knees, tied up by twin bells, scolded with a sarcastic voice and exasperated expression._

" _What?! I was not cheating!" The class rep, possessing bright blonde hair done up in a long ponytail, immediately fired back with an accused look._

" _Maybe it's cause I had my eyes half open." Another girl, this one with short pink hair and two black ties on both sides of her head, stated with a guilty look, nervously rubbing the back of her head._

 _Negi sighed with relief at none of his students being harmed. But out of the corner of their eye, he noticed a girl standing off to the side, away from the crowd. With short black hair, done in a side ponytail, she carried a large thin case, like one used to transport a large instrument, silently observing the chaos with a neutral face._

 _The child's expression quickly turned into a worried one._

"What… Kind of a trap is that?" Sumi asked with a blank look.

"I think the frogs are cute~." Sonoko bent down to poke one that was leaping towards her, only for the frog to pass straight through her. "Aww..."

"Chigusa always did have an odd taste in traps..." Fate commented with a weary look.

"Wait, you knew who did this?" Sumi questioned, turning a curious look toward Fate.

"Oh, did that mean you were on the other side during this? Spring-san said one of the reasons the trip was made, was to deliver a message to make peace between two sides, right~?" Sonoko mused aloud.

"Perceptive." Fate commented with a slight nod toward Sonoko. "As you can piece together, not everyone on both factions wanted hostilities to end. One particular sect in the Kansai Magic Association being among them. They tried to delay the negotiations and accomplish their own plans during Negi-kun's trip. Former… associates of mine caught wind of this plan and sought to help it. So, I was sent to provide assistance."

"You were helping the bad guys?" Gin skeptically commented.

"If you wished to grossly oversimplify things." Fate responded. "One of the reasons for the divide, was the belief by the Kansai Magic Association, that the Kanto mages had neglected tradition and given themselves over to western magic, in favor of more traditional eastern styles. "

"Wait..." Sumi asked with a confused look, the gears in hear slowly starting to turn at the implication of Fate's words. "What do you mean more traditional eastern styles?" Sumi continued with a dark expression toward Negi. Behind her, a worried look started growing on Gin's face.

"Well, while there's many different types of magic, the biggest particular divide is between east and west styles." Negi began, slipping into his teaching voice. "The most fundamental difference is eastern styles are based on the idea of _ki,_ and projecting one's internal strength and energy outward, into various forms. Where's the style Fate and I use, instead draws energy from ar-"

"Does… This mean what you've been teaching us is _western_ based?" Sumi cutoff Negi, her features and tone some horrible mixture of shock, anger, and horror.

"That's correct." Negi, brought out of his lecture by the interruption, confirmed with a casual nod.

Sumi glared at Negi once again with restrained contempt, speaking with a similar tone after a moment. "...I would like to learn an eastern style instead."

"Wasshi doesn't like western stuff that much~." Sonoko commented in a tone unfit for the tense atmosphere that had overtaken the group.

"Ah, about that." Negi started cautiously, feeling a little off put by the intensity in Sumi's face. Hopefully, they could work past this eventually. "While I know a decent amount about how eastern styles works, my expertise in western magic is far better. I don't think I could teach you enough about it that would make it useful against enemies like the Vertex. However, Fate might know enough." Academically, he knew much about the various _theories_ on eastern styles and ki, he'd done much reading on it when preparing to fight Jack Rakan, the strongest ki user he'd ever met, but he had little experience trying to _practically_ use ki or teach it on a level even 1/10th of what he could do with western magic and mana. Fate, on the other hand, while using the same style, had some unique circumstances that could've made them much more knowledgeable on teaching and using it.

"Denied." Fate _immediately_ answered before Sumi could so much as open her mouth, not even glancing in her direction.

"W-why not?" Sumi asked with a perplexed face, some of her negative feeling briefly subdued by the blunt and quick rejection.

"Beyond the fact Negi-kun will be primarily handling your training in magic, it is because, fundamentally, ki and magic is incompatible except in rare cases. And based on circumstances, I believe focusing on magic to be the better alternative." Fate continued, turning to look at her.

"To explain it in a bit more detail, as I was saying before, ki is an _internal_ force projected outward, while our styles are about _external_ forces gathered inward and shaped how we want. For one person to actively use both at the same time, would be somewhat like trying to pour water down a hose, while ejecting water out of it at the same time. I've only known 2, maybe 3 people who could use both at the same time, and it's a special art." He _technically_ only knew Asuna and Takahata could perform Kanka for sure, but Jack Rakan was also primarily a ki user and it wouldn't have surprised the child in the slightest for the walking cheat to be capable of it.

"But you said our circumstances are unique, so couldn't it work for us?" Sumi replied with a mix of annoyance and indignation.

"That is a possibility." Fate cut in before Negi could answer. "However, your attempts at spell casting responded heavily towards the more western styles. Coupled with the basis of your circumstances stemming from being empowered by the Shinju and using their energy, the principle also aligns with more western styles. We don't know how long Negi-kun and I will be here and able to monitor your progress. As such, you should focus on what we know works and have the most knowledge in. You don't want another disaster like before to happen after we leave, do you?" Fate bluntly finished.

A shadow _immediately_ fell over the atmosphere of the group.

"However." Fate continued, his voice softening almost imperceptibly so. "If you wish to pursue your own interests, then perhaps we can leave notes for you before we depart. But only after you have a proper foundation on your magic skills and can ensure your own safety. The priority is the short term."

The words seemed to somewhat placate Sumi, though her expression still looked disheartened and a touch frustrated.

"Hey! So, uh, what happened next with this rivalry stuff. You guys saw more of Kyoto, right?" Gin interjected, trying to lift the sour mood that'd gripped the group.

"Oh, right! Nothing too much happened with that until later that night, while I was out patrolling for any trouble." Negi added, jumping on the chance to try and improve things. Fate meant well and cared in his own way, but they were often blunt as a hammer. "I stopped at another landmark I think you might like while checking the area, and I can show you I was being honest about what I meant at our first training session."

Sumi starred intensely at Negi, certainly still not over the previous revelation and exchange, but her desire to see more of Kyoto apparently won out, as she relented with a sigh after a few moments, though clearly not fully satisfied "Fine..."

With a few quick thoughts, the illusionary world twisted and changed around the group.

* * *

When the world returned to normal, Sumi saw that there setting had changed drastically. The bright blue sky had shifted into the darkness of late evening, stars dotting the sky and helping to illuminate the landscape. The old Kiyomizu-dera gave way to that of a hilly landscape surrounding them. A short distance away, Sumi could see several buildings and street light, typical residential looking houses. However, there was one notable fact which immediate drew Sumi's attention. The group stood at one end of a long bridge, low to the ground and no more than a few times a person's height, surrounded by a shallow looking river. She immediately knew this place.

"This is the Togetsukyo Bridge!" Sumi shouted, unable to contain her excitement once more. She'd read about this landmark before. Though it was quite simple in design, for someone that knew the historical background of the bridge, it was a great delight to see.

"That's correct." Negi commented with an approving smile. "We stayed in Arashiyama for the night, and this was one of the locations I stopped by while patrolling."

"Sooo…. What's special about the bridge?" Gin asked with cautious curiosity, looking around at the rather unassuming looking landmark, not terribly impressed.

"The bridge was first made almost 1,500 years ago." Sumi excitedly began, _instantly_ jumping on the chance to share her history knowledge. Gin _had_ asked after all. "But, it was remade a few times due to flooding destroying it. There's a tradition that, when someone reaches 13 years old, they have to walk from one side to the other without looking back, to get a blessing. Would you like to hear more?" Sumi eagerly asked, pushing herself in front of Gin's face.

"I-I think I'm good..." Gin replied, slightly taken aback by Sumi's enthusiasm. She really could act quite differently when history came up, but the girl couldn't help her love of the subject.

" _...And that about covers it."_

The sound of another voice, this one sounding somewhat like a guttural middle aged man, drew everyone's focus behind them and toward the left side of the bridge closest to the group.

Standing just off the side of the bridge's entrance, Sumi saw a small animal, thin with a white colored body and black tip at the end of its tail, currently talking with a younger looking Negi. The child was dressed in clothes that looked like they belonged to a typical Japanese inn, along with holding a card slightly bigger than his palm and curiously looking at the paper.

" _So I can use this card to communicate telepathically with my partner, summon her from far away, activate my partner's powers and magic items, ect… That's incredible." Negi commented with a wonder filled face, thoroughly examining the card._

" _Try using it now, aniki! That card is miraculously handy!" The animal boasted with a proud tone and grin._

"You have a talking ferret?" Sonoko eagerly asked with a sparkle in her eyes, moving closer to the animal for a better look. "He looks cute~."

"Ermine." Negi quickly corrected. "Chamo-kun's my familiar. He's helped me a lot with my magical affairs."

"What about that card? He mentioned something about a _partner~?_ " Sonoko followed up with, the same kind of expression she took when thinking of novel ideas, clearly plastered onto her face.

"That's-" Negi began, slipping into his teaching voice.

"A topic better discussed later." Fate bluntly cut in. "Negi-kun and I have a busy schedule and there are still many events left to see, and much I'm sure you wish to explore. We can alter your perception of time to allow you three to see more, but we don't have infinite time."

To be honest, Sumi was somewhat glad for Fate's interjection. Part of her _was_ still a bit curious about some of the concepts of Negi's world, but at the same time she would have rather spent more time seeing Kyoto. Even if they did somehow gain the ability to safely venture outside the barrier in her lifetime and she could see what remained of Kyoto herself, they'd have been ruins. She _never_ imagined she would've been allowed to see the city in a fully functional state in person. Sumi didn't want to waste a second of this chance.

"Besides, you're missing what Negi-kun wanted to show you." Fate added, pointing back toward the still continuing scene and refocusing everyone's attention back toward it.

" _Negi, I'm sorry! Konoka's been kidnapped! What do we do!?" Another panicked voice, sounding like it belonged to a teenage girl, yelled from the other end of the phone Negi was using._

" _Ack! Aniki, what's that?!" Chamo shouted with worry, pointing skyward._

 _To Negi's surprise, what appeared to be a giant cartoonish monkey carrying a person, descended from the sky and harshly impacted the ground with enough force to spread cracks through it and kick up a small cloud of dust._

" _A monkey!?" Negi exclaimed, wide eyed in disbelief and taking a step back from the shock._

" _It's huge!" Chamo echoed._

" _Oh." The 'monkey' began in a distinctly feminine voice, turning toward mage and familiar, revealing the face of a glasses wearing, middle aged woman in the 'mouth' of the costume. Upon seeing the mage, their expression curved into a devilish grin and voice immediately twisted into smug mockery. "Thanks for all your help. My cute little wizard."_

" _K-Konoka-san!" Negi shouted in shock at seeing the person the other was carrying, readying a practice wand to attack._

" _Bye now!" The other smugly said before leaping away, several miniature versions of the costume, roughly the size of Chamo, appearing from under the bridge._

" _Hold it right there, monkey-san! Ras Tel Ma Scir-" Negi defiantly said as they began to chant while aiming toward the fleeing monkey, only for the smaller copies to descend upon the child. One covered his mouth, muffling any further attempts at chanting, while the rest prodded his face or pulled at his clothes to further prevent concentrating on spells._

Sumi starred at the scene with a blank expression, trying to process what she was seeing. Negi looked younger in this memory, but even still he looked no more than a year or two younger than the one standing beside her right now. The same Negi who, along with Fate, had wrecked a mountain by _accident_ in a practice fight, been able to soundly defeat 3 Vertex at once, and possessed an incredible variety of powers none of the Heroes did. But, here she was, watching an image of this same child rendered helpless by a couple of monkeys that didn't even come up to his _knees_ in height. She could _not_ believe this kid had changed and gotten so strong in the span of time his appearances suggested and how long it evidently took to learn magic. Not unless he had unique circumstances like her friends.

"Hehe~." Sonoko giggled a bit at the scene, an amused smile on her face. "Guess you weren't that good at magic then~."

"I told you, I was being honest." Negi admitted with a nervous chuckle, face touched with a hint of red from embarrassment. "I really wasn't that great with parts of magic for a while."

"… I cannot believe you managed to strike me, when even this simple trick stopped you dead." Fate deadpanned, looking at Negi with a thoroughly disappointed look.

"She took me by surprise!" Negi shot back with an offended face. "And I still managed to catch you in a spell, didn't I?" A brief spark of competitiveness flared up in Negi's eyes to punctuate his words. "Doesn't that look bad on you then?"

"When… Did you say this happened?" Sumi slowly said in a level voice, finally finding her words and still watching the scene. It'd now progressed to Setsuna and another girl, possessing long orange hair done up in twintails with bells at the ties, arriving and freeing Negi from the harassment of the monkeys.

"Huh?" Negi said, briefly dragged away from arguing with Fate as he took a moment to think. "This trip was a little over a year ago for me."

Sumi blinked.

A year.

 _A year._

 _ **One. Year.**_

What had the other _possibly_ done in that timeframe which could've caused this? The Heroes got their powers from the Shinju and were far more than any normal human could be for it, did Negi have something like that happen to him?

"This was only a year ago?" Gin asked, both shock and curiosity equally present in her voice and expression, eyebrows raised. "How'd you get so strong?"

"Oooh, maybe Spring-san's some kind of immortal who's really hundreds of years old and only looks 11~." Sonoko mused, voicing her idea in a manner that Sumi couldn't tell if it was a serious thought or Sonoko being Sonoko.

"No, I'm nothing like that! Not yet." Negi quickly dismissed with a wave of his hand and relaxed voice. "I'm really just 11 years old and mostly trained really hard."

"Then… What made you train so hard and try to get that strong?" Sumi automatically asked, curiosity in her voice and pursed expression on her face while ideas bounced around her mind at the possibilities.

Wait, did she really hear him say 'not yet' about Sonoko's theory?

"It's a long story, but my father is a big reason why." Negi calmly answered with a smile, cutting off Sumi's thought before she could properly explore it. "But, first let's pause this for now."

With a though, the world around everyone froze. Much like when time stopped before a Vertex attack, the water beneath the bridge stopped dead in its tracks, the wind that gently blew the grass back and forth ceased, the images of the people within the memory froze like statues. The entire world turned to stillness.

"My father was the strongest mage ever, people called him 'The Thousand Master', but nobody is sure how the name cropped up. Some said because he knew 1000 spells or had the strength of a 1000 mages." Negi began with gradually growing excitement, reminding Sumi somewhat of how she could get whenever history came up. "He helped a lot of people all over the magical community, even saving the world before. He was a great hero and I heard a lot about them while growing up. I wanted to be just like him." Negi continued, a cheerful smile on his face while recounting the apparent happy memories.

Well, if his father was so powerful, perhaps that explained some of Negi's strength, Sumi pondered. Maybe something like that was genetic?

"However..." Negi positive expression dropped into a more somber one as he talked more. "He went missing around the time I was born. People thought he was dead, but an… incident happened at my village when I was four, and he appeared to stop it."

A small circle appeared beside Negi, ejecting a long wooden staff taller than he was, with bandages wrapped around the front end of it. "He gave me this staff, his staff," Negi continued, delicately holding the staff within his hands and looking at it with tender eyes, like it was some fragile treasure. "Before he left. And that was the last I saw of him for several years."

"That's a bit heavier than I was expecting..." Gin murmured with a sympathetic expression. "But… wait." Gin's face shifted toward a confused one. "Why'd he just show up and leave like that?"

"I didn't know it at the time, but he had a very good reason." Negi answered. "My father's situation is a bit of a long and complicated story to get into now… But, it's something I'm working on and one reason I need to get home as soon as possible. I'll fix it someday." The child finished confidently, gripping the staff tighter and with a determined face.

Sumi wasn't sure what she expected to hear when it came to Negi's reasons, but she wasn't expecting something like this. Whatever happened with his father sounded pretty somber for someone as young as four years old to deal with. Sumi did have the Vertex, but at least she had her friends to help soldier through it and most of her issues were typical for her age aside from them.

"Well… I don't know what's going on with your family, but I'm sure you'll figure something out." Gin reassured with a confident smile, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Thanks, Minowa-san." Negi replied with an appreciative grin, expression already softening more toward his usual one, instead of the heavier one from earlier. "But, what about you three?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sumi spoke up with a raised eyebrow.

"Since it's topical, would you mind telling me a bit about yourselves, even if just a little given the circumstances? If you don't mind me asking, of course. My history has come up several times, but Fate and I haven't gotten to hear much about you all personally and I'd like to get to know you better." Negi asked with a curious voice and friendly smile. "But, we can talk later, if you'd prefer to see more of Kyoto first."

Truthfully, Sumi did want to see more of Kyoto first, but at the same time. Negi was right in that none of the girls had told them all that much about themselves. Especially given he shared something personal about his father's circumstances, Sumi supposed she at least owed him a _little_ about herself.

"Sure, I'll go first!" Gin eagerly spoke up with a proud grin, almost always not one to mind being the center of attention. "My household has my parents and two brothers. They're the best siblings in the whole world! My parents are usually pretty busy, so I help a lot around the house, but it's not big like Sumi and Sonoko's. Tetsuo's five years old, while Kintarou is still a baby. They can be a handful sometimes, Tetsuo likes to interrupt me a lot when I try to do homework, but it's always fun to play with em."

"Sounds like you really love your family." Negi commented.

"Most important thing to me with my friends." Gin replied, face touched a little red, but none the less a wide and cheerful grin on her features.

"My turn~! I don't have any siblings, like Mino-san, but my house is busy with all the staff in it~." Sonoko commented, taking her turn to discuss herself. "I like to write in my spare time and I even post some of my stories online. It's fun, so I'd like to become a novelist someday. but I'm fine as long as I can stay with Mino-san and Wasshi~."

Between both the comments from her friends, Sumi felt her face heating up slightly. It wasn't that she disagreed, no she wanted to stay friends with Gin and Sonoko forever, but there was no way she could ever be so easily open about it with people she didn't know so well like this.

"Oh? You'll have to show me them sometime. I love a good book." Negi curiously said. "Reminds me of one of my students. She like to draw manga and I believe she was interested in doing it professionally."

"Sure~. Learning about magic and everything it can do gave me a lot of ideas for my stories. You'll have to tell me more about what it can do sometime~." Sonoko nodded in agreement with a playful glint in her eyes and enthusiastic grin on her face.

Sumi felt a sinking feeling in her stomach at just what kind of 'ideas' Sonoko was getting from magic, after what had happened after visiting Ines…

"What about you, Washio-san?"

"Eh?" Sumi snapped out of her daze from Negi's words. "Oh, uh, um..." Put on the spot, she felt her mind suddenly go blank and an increasing sense of nervousness, looking around to avert eye contact while thinking. What to share about herself? What about her was particularly interesting and wouldn't seem boring next to her friends? Sumi herself still wasn't exactly the best about the whole 'making friends', even after spending some hours searching the internet for help pages on doing exactly that. Negi wasn't a stranger to her by now, but he still wasn't someone she was close with, not like Sonoko or Gin and Sumi didn't do well in casual conversations under pressure like this!

"You're interested in history, correct? I remember you seemed quite curious at the Ines' bookstore." Negi casually prodded, offering Sumi a lifeline out of her current worry.

"Oh, yes!" Sumi quickly jumped at the opening Negi had thrown her, face brightening into a smile as she felt her nerves start calming down. She could go on for ages about this one subject if she wanted. "History is my favorite subject, with the Showa period being one of the periods I'm most interested in, naval history as well. I'd like to be a historian to study it more someday."

"I can definitely see you doing that." Negi agreed with an approving voice. "I'm decently familiar with most of Japan's history, but I don't know much about its naval history, past a basic general idea. You'll have to tell me about it sometime."

"You'd really like to hear more sometime?" Sumi nearly shouted with barely restrained excitement and glowing expression, before reigning herself in after a moment, redness tinting her cheeks from the outburst. It was true, she never got much of a chance to speak at length on this subject with someone who seemed very capable of having an extended dialog with her on it, even her own parents sometimes got lost, and Sonoko would mostly just let her talk. But, on the other hand, every time a moment like this came up where she felt more able to trust Negi, something always seemed to come up that took their relationship one step forward and two steps back. But, it turned out he was being quite honest about his magical skill in the past in relation to what'd happened after Ines, so perhaps she could _finally_ start trusting him personally more? She did consider giving him a chance at the Ines' bookstore. Yes, he was still a foreigner, but at the same time he had given Sumi so many chances she didn't expect to ever get, especially with Kyoto. Why did this have to be so complicated...

"Of course, but it would be best to do so another time. We can't talk too much right now, since you wanted to see the rest of Kyoto, right?" Negi replied with an affirming nod.

"Awww, Wasshi and I shared our dreams, but Mino-san didn't tell Spring-san her's~." Sonoko teased with a mischievous smile and nudging Gin forward.

"H-Hey, we already went over this! It's embarrassing to talk about..." Gin trailed off weakly, a blush starting to appear on her face once more.

"Buuuuuut, there's still one person we haven't heard about~." Sonoko declared, moving on from flustering her friend without missing a single beat. Turning her eyes toward Fate, she extended her finger toward the other mage. "What's Fate-san's story?"

Everyone's eyes were immediately drawn toward the Averruncus. The white haired boy was presently leaning against the railing of the bridge, having evidently started silently observing the exchange with his typical dour expression after Negi was pulled away from arguing with him.

His gaze locked with Sonoko's, unblinking. "… And what do you wish to know about me?"

"Well~, Spring-san said their otou-san was the strongest mage ever, they're really smart, and trained hard to be like them. What about you?" Sonoko continued inquisitively, matching Fate's stare with a far more casual one.

"If you think to find some kind of secret to getting stronger, then you will be disappointed." Fate answered back flatly. "Negi-kun and I both have unique circumstances compared to most mages already, and you three each have your own."

"We just wanna know a little about you. You haven't talked much about yourself and maybe we can start here~." Sonoko responded dismissively toward Fate's accusation.

"I wanna hear it now too." Gin commented, undeterred by the cold shoulder response. "When you mentioned earlier about coming to Kyoto cause you were helping some people, it was the first thing you said about yourself since you got here."

Come to think of it, that was true. Negi had told Sumi that Fate had rescued people orphaned by a _war_ when trying to convince her that the boy wasn't a bad person, despite their rocky first meeting. With that brought to the front of her mind and further confirmation Fate had unique circumstances compared to most mages, Sumi couldn't help her mind wander. Still, she couldn't avoid a small frown on her face, as she wanted to see more of Kyoto already, but her friends were equally curious and it seemed like they would _finally_ get back on track after this last interruption, so no harm in satisfying their curiosity and then being able to continue without interruptions, right? "I'd like to hear a bit about Fate-san as well."

For several moments, Fate said nothing, wearing a perfect mask of a neutral expression that gave Sumi no clear indication of what ideas were bouncing around within the mage's head.

"Very well." Fate finally spoke, going from leaning on the railing to standing straight. "It's rare, but some people are naturally incredibly strong. I never had to train personally in order to get stronger, as I was naturally gifted with power that exceeded all but the strongest fighters in the Magical World."

The other was _naturally_ this strong? She couldn't decide what was more surprising, maybe even concerning. The idea people could go from as weak as the Negi she saw in this memory to his strength in such a short time, or that people this young looking could be so strong for no real reason. Still, while curious, she wanted to see Kyoto more. But, before that, there was one fact Sumi wanted to know more of before they resumed. Fate didn't seem like the most eager to discuss themselves, so she wasn't sure when this chance would come up again and let her get an idea of if Fate was the kind of person Negi claimed. Besides, it'd probably be a quick as his last answer and then they could continue uninterrupted.

"Um.." Sumi softly spoke up, Fate's gaze instantly turning toward her in turn. "When we first met, Negi-san mentioned you helped a lot of people orphaned by a war..?"

Fate's expression dropped to something resembling exasperation, his eyes briefly flickering toward Negi, who responded with an apologetic smile and weak stare. "That is correct." The mage admitted, their voice, somewhat surprisingly, warming from the cold detached tone it usually carried. "I traveled around various parts of the world at one point and found many people who needed help, often those young and unable to fend for themselves in the aftermath of severe conflict, sometimes even younger than yourselves. So, I provided assistance toward those I found and was able to."

"Aw, I knew Fei-kun had a soft spot somewhere~." Sonoko commented with a playful smile, eyes closed contently.

"What did you just call me?" Fate's voice immediately dropped back to his customary deadpan.

"… How old are you again?" Gin asked with a perplexed voice and tone that nearly matched Fate's.

"… 12 years old." Fate answered after a slight delay from giving Sonoko a piercing stare.

"Your lives seem so much more eventful..." Sumi murmured with a sigh. Fate was the _same age as her,_ while Negi was even _younger,_ and while she barely knew their pasts, it sounded like the two had such incredibly eventful lives. One of the mages had been a teacher at age 9, and the other had already traveled the world helping people by 12. And, just from the glimpse of Kyoto, she doubted this was the end of their stories. Sumi couldn't help feeling a little inadequate next from it all. Gin and Sonoko were a stronger fighter and tactician respectively, now this.

"Don't talk like that." Negi gently reprimanded with a shake of his head. "I'm sure you have plenty of interesting events worth sharing too. Everyone's the main character of their own story, and I'd like to hear more of your's sometime." The child finished with a supportive grin.

"T-thanks." Sumi said with some heat flowing toward her cheeks. What a way to phrase a request like that...

"Oooooooh, that's a good line. I'll have to remember that one~." Sonoko mused with a familiar sparkle in her eyes.

"But, I think we've delayed long enough, sorry that turned into a longer discussion than expected, we can talk more later." Negi apologized with a mild sigh. "Let's continue with this, shall we?"

Sumi immediately felt her a smile creeping back onto her face at the statement. Finally, they were going to resume the memory and she could see more of Ky-

Sumi felt a tremor run through her body, one she knew all too well and sent a flash of anger and worry through her.

"What was that?" Negi asked cautiously, half dropping into a relaxed combat stance instinctively while looking around, eyes scanning everything around them for a possible source of the disturbance.

"The Vertex finally came back, huh?" Gin commented casually, not at all worried by the impending attack.

"Gin… Remember what happened last time and they said this wouldn't be like anything before." Sumi scolded sternly, glaring at Gin firmly, but her expression also marred with worry. She knew things would very likely be fine with the two mages around, but even still, she couldn't dispel her worry for the other hero. Not when they nearly lost their life before.

"Sorry about that, Sumi." Gin folded without complaint at her reprimand this time. "But, I'm sure we'll be fine. We got new tricks of our own."

"I suppose we'll have to continue this later, sorry about that, Washio-san." Negi added while putting his staff away to back where it came from.

Sumi nodded firmly, a frustrated frown on her face. Gin's concern had been the cause for her worry and some anger, but the _other_ part of her rage had been that the Vertex had chosen now, of all possible times, to attack. Just when she was going to see such an important city for herself! They'd pay for that.

The last thing Sumi saw while reaching for her phone, was the world distorting and fading around them, replaced instead by the advancing wall of light of Forestization, just as it overtook everyone.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay. My beta reader had some life issues keeping them busy for a little longer than expected, but the chapter is here. I had some stuff happen right around the time I started updating again, so chapter 12 hopefully shouldn't be too long, I'd say probably within 2-3 weeks.

And I'm still taking suggestions for the activation keys of the WaSuYus if anyone feels like submitting them.


	12. Chapter 12

Once more, the landscape of Shikoku had transformed into the wondrous, almost alien like even, technicolor landscape of the Jukai. Negi had seen quite a lot of locations in his short life, but none of them look remotely like the endless sea of roots before him now. However, admiring the scenery could wait. The coming encounter with the Vertex was one everyone had been warned of, saying that it would be 'unusual'. Being the child only had one brief engagement with the monsters, he had no idea what to expect out of a 'typical' attack, but everything that greeted his senses, from the enemies in front and the reactions of the girls beside him, instantly keyed him into realizing that warning was likely quite correct.

Advancing across the bridge was what looked like a small _battalion_ of the creatures, all in many different shapes. However, save one of them, the approaching hoard was nowhere near the scale of the ones Negi had previously seen. Where's the trio from before had been the size of buildings, easily around 30 meters in height, these beasts were each roughly the length of a large city bus and of quite different compositions.

The first type of creature possessed a long, thin body, being the tallest of the lesser Vertex. The upper half of it expanded into a series of interconnected discs that gradually grew in size till it stopped at a parting with a long forked 'tongue' and two parted halves that made its face resemble a mouth. Draped around the 'neck' was a wide plate of what seemed to be armor that jutted out a meter from its body. The back half of its being tapered off into a much more narrow blue colored tail, with a white cylinder around the tip. It most resembled a snake

The second monsters had a far more impact design. Its main body was shaped similar to a blue colored bow with a handle placed out at each side at the center point of its body. More than a dozen pale arrows rose outward from the center of its body, floating around it and seemingly not attached toward anything particular.

The third type possessed a body nearly as narrow and long as the first, what looked like a series of 7 thin torsos, each with a pain of wire like 'arms', stacked upon each other and supported by a single pair of larger legs at the bottom, with feet resembling hands more than anything else. At the peak of the monster, the body led up to a tiny triangular head with several long wires coming from it. This one looked like some kind of centipede

The fourth and final Vertex, with many copies within the advancing offense, was much simpler. A single red ball, divided down the middle with one half red and the other white, flowed downward to two appendages that weaved together with a similar coloration. However, it's method of attack was quite clear, with a large red horn extending from the top half of the orb comprising its body, surrounded by several rings of varying size at its base.

Among the hoard of near identical Vertex, two individuals stood out. The first one was enormous next to its smaller companions, being of a stature similar to the three initially encountered. It was pale pink with highlights of a darker shade across various points of its being. The center of the body resembled a triangle shape whose side's were circular than ridged lines, coming to a downward point at the front of the body, which rose up and toward it's back, making it resemble a pyramid with the rear side missing. Around the face of the creature was a large and transparent flowing scarf, gently weaving back and forth as if a gentle breeze blew over it. Below its pyramid-like body, a thick appendage trailed downward and tapered off into a far narrower endpoint. The second one was perhaps the most unusual of the crowd. Even next to the smallest Vertex in sight, it was tiny, human sized even. Likewise, its body type resembled a person's, though with a much thinner torso and with a pillory secured tightly around its featureless upper body. Oddly, a chain was wrapped tightly around its neck and flailed wildly with the breakneck running speed of the monster.

"There's so many of them..." Sumi commented with tense, pursed lips, speaking lowly and shakily.

"Hey, easy there Sumi." Gin softly said, reassuringly putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "They're a lot smaller than what we usually deal with, so I bet they're not so tough." She added with small grin.

"I think you're right about that." Negi confirmed, flashing Sumi a confident smile. They still had quite some time before the Vertex would reach them, and the child intended to take full advantage of it. "That large one in the middle." He pointed toward the massive pink one that seemed like the 'leader' of the pack. "I didn't have the best chance to closely observe the ones you fought before, but its presence feels comparable to them. On the other end, the smaller Vertex, all feel worlds weaker. The quick one still feels strong for its size, but still far from the other."

Oddly, it reminded Negi of the demons summoned forth by The Lifemaker's power, the same ones used in practice with the Heroes earlier. They came in many different shapes and sizes, with the larger ones worth entire hoards of the smaller variety. Even more red flags were being raised, as if the story about a virus didn't have enough holes next to his prior experience with the supernatural.

"That's good." Sonoko said with a subdued sigh of relief, some of the tension visibly leaving her body. "Still~, it's gonna be really different fighting them like this~." The Hero tapped the screen of her phone, transforming in a brief flash of light. "Hmm..." The girl hummed, tapping her chin with her finger while likely thinking of a battle plan.

"Don't worry, I-"

"Wait." Fate spoke, cutting Negi off. "Negi-kun and I will remain back here."

" _Huh?"_ Both Negi and Sumi said in perfect sync.

 _{I have a good reason for this, Negi-kun.}_ Fate responded telepathically toward Negi, before the mage could question it.

 _{And what could that possibly be?}_ Negi shot back incredulously, squinting his eyes at Fate skeptically.

Sumi opened her mouth to protest, but Fate continued his interjection, speaking with a diction like Negi when teaching, though more reserved and closer to his normal behavior. "A few reasons. Firstly, the sheer number of enemies here. Their goal is to destroy the Shinju, correct? It wouldn't be unrealistic to think some of their numbers might try to slip past while the rest keep everyone else occupied. Especially the one running across the Jukai right now. It's moving far quicker than the others and could make a difficult target once the remainder of the enemies start attacking."

 _{For the reasons I am presently outlining to Washio-san, but also because it will provide us a good opportunity to more closely inspect the Vertex. Perhaps we'll be able to learn more about our enemy and more of what the Taisha may be attempting to hide.}_ Fate answered Negi calmly, speaking 'normally' while simultaneously conversing with the other mage.

 _{I am aware of that, Fate. I can deal with the Vertex and accomplish that at the same time, but without needing to risk anyone's safety.}_ Negi retorted, unconvinced and crossing his arms with a skeptical expression.

"It's unlikely to happen, but not impossible for one of us to get distracted during battle and overlook a single enemy between so many." Fate further elaborated, but Negi knew the chances of that happening were practically zero and it was an excuse for the real motive. They'd been in far larger scale battles, and Fate himself had even found someone the instant they teleported away, even after spreading more than a dozen identical clones across a whole capital city.

 _{There won't be any danger, Negi-kun. Those smaller Vertex shouldn't pose any significant danger toward them and the Heroes are quite capable themselves. We will be here the whole time in the event something occurs. I can teleport, while you are quick enough to go from one end of Shikoku and back over 5 times in a second when using Magia Erebea. It will also be a good opportunity to see how effective their training has been since the last attack. We won't be here forever and if these attacks become normal, they should be prepared.}_ Fate dismissively answered.

Negi's mouth curved into a doubtful, pensive look, eyes tinged with concern. _{While I understand that and you're not entirely wrong, this is the first major battle outside of training since we arrived, along with the circumstances being outside the norm. The smaller Vertex feel vastly weaker, but we don't know what they're capable of. They could be a problem when working with the stronger one, and you saw how injured everyone was before._ _I think more practice might be better while we can help it.}_

 _{Nothing we can't handle will happen. Besides, while I understand your concerns, consider what happened with your own class. After being scattered across Mundus Magicus, they all grew greatly through what they faced. If you had the chance, I'm certain you would have shielded them from some of the more severe ordeal for their safety, and they would have never had such a chance. People need to stand on their own sometimes, Negi-kun.}_ Fate responded with an unflinching look.

Damn, Fate did have him there and make a strong point. Even still, Negi couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling about throwing the girls into an uncontrolled environment of combat so soon after one of them nearly _died_ last time.

"… You guys talking with magic again or something?" Gin flatly questioned.

"Huh? Oh, sorry about that." Negi apologized, turning toward Gin with a guilty smile. He hadn't meant to leave them out of the conversation like that for so long. "There is a possibility of what Fate said happening, but I'm still not comfortable with leaving you three to fight them while we stay back here."

"Hey, come on! We can handle ourselves. Besides, the Vertex aren't the only ones with new stuff. We can use magic too now." Gin responded with a confident grin. "There's only one of the big guys around anyway, we should be fine. We've dealt with the Vertex a few times before you two showed up.

"But, this seems completely different from before and we haven't practiced for fights like these..." Sumi voiced skeptically, face falling into a frown and expression concerned.

"We won't be here forever." Fate added, moving one hand to his side to draw attention. "Training is important, but a live battle with your life on the line is quite different from a spar. While we're here, we can ensure you remain safe and see how your training is coming along. If this proves too much for you, we can easily handle it and provide more intense training."

"You both have a good point." Sonoko spoke up thoughtfully, though much of her customary casual tone still present. "There's a lot of new Vertex we don't know about, but it'd be bad if any of them got past us and it's our duty to be able to protect the Shinju-sama~." Continuing, her eyes and voice both took on a touch of weight to them, looking at the two mages with a steady glance. "If we handle things up front, you're sure you can handle anything that goes wrong?"

"Easily." Fate answered without an ounce of hesitation. "Minowa-san saw how rapidly Negi-kun and I can step in if needed."

"Well..." Negi's answer, however, was more reluctant and concerned, face frowning. Yes, he was beyond absurdly fast when he needed to be and Fate had incredibly potent healing magic, but if one of them took something quickly fatal, he didn't want to chance it. "We should be able to, but I'm still worried."

"Come on, have some faith in us!" Gin commented lightly, putting a reassuring hand on Negi's shoulder. "Fate-san was right. You jumped into the fight and got me out before I had a chance to blink. Even if something does somehow go wrong, we'll be fine. You worry as much as Sumi does."

Sumi straightened up at the comparison, looking at Gin with a dumbfounded expression, mouth open in some combination of shock and horror as red tainted her cheeks. "I-I'm nothing like him!" Yep, even if he and Sumi were starting to get along somewhat better, she still didn't seem to like the western thing.

"Yeah, I kinda see it too~." Sonoko teased, her demeanor briefly going back toward her usual smiles and playfulness, before lowering just a touch. "But, we should take care of the Vertex soon~. That fast one is getting pretty close. I'll trust Spring-san and Fei-kun." True to Sonoko's observation, the smallest and quickest of the Vertex had gained a fair bit of ground already.

"Come on, let's get going!" Gin eagerly said, tapping her phone. A glowing light briefly enveloped Gin's body, shifting her outfit from her casual clothes, into that of her Hero uniform. A red colored overcoat covering an inner skintight bodysuit grey in coloration, with similarly red highlights. In both her hands, resided an axe.

Sonoko and Sumi soon followed suit, the former's clothes shifting into a dark purple outfit that vaguely resembled her school uniform, also covering a bodysuit, but with a much more complex look, white highlights and patches around her stomach and sides.

Sumi's outfit was the most drastic change, switching to a light purple colored design that resembled a shrine maiden's robes, long sleeves draping around her wrists and coat going around her body and nearly to the ankles.

Negi let out a resigned sigh. It seemed he was being outvoted on the issue. Hopefully, he was just worrying too much. Wouldn't be the first time he'd overthought a problem. "Alright, good luck you three. We'll make sure none of them get past us." Raising his hand, a large orb of crackling lightning appeared above his palm, rapidly shrinking in size till he crushed the sphere and the spell's energy flowed into his body, enveloping his being in a pale pink, nearly white, hue as it shifted into the first of his two lightning forms. He wanted every bit of speed he could get if intervention became necessary.

Taking point, Gin jumped off first, Sumi and Sonoko trailing slightly behind her, sailing into the air and making a series of powerful jumps till they neared the running Vertex. Reaching the humanoid, she swung one of her axes at it with devastating force.

And missed by a mile.

The Vertex similarly possessed an incredible incredibly reaction time with its speed, vaulting over Gin's horizontal swipe, past her head, and hit the ground running without a single break in flow or momentum.

Sonoko tried her luck next, swiping at the creature with her weapon's default state, only to strike air just as Gin had. However, she pressed the attack, switching her weapon into its longer spear form and stabbing at the mid air Vertex with its increased reach. But, even with her clever followup, Sonoko only clipped one side of the pillory and its hands, the enemy still a master at dodging even in the air and twisting its body out of the way of a fatal hit just in time.

Sumi took aim at the creature briefly, before lowering her bow in frustration, it was hard to tell as Negi could only see her back and some body language from his position. She had to of been worried about damaging the Jukai. This Vertex ran directly along the roots or nearby them, and with the explosive power of her arrows alongside its incredible agility, she could've struck a root and damaged the real world.

For the moment, Negi took his focus off the girls. The battle with the rest of the hoard would begin shortly, but this one had easily made it past the trio and was now approaching them at high speed. It was time to do their part and take care of this one. Yet, as it got closer, Negi felt something peculiar about the creature's signature.

As it approached Fate and his position, he noticed the harmful intent coming from it starting to vanish. What's more, the creature seemed to be _slowing down_ as it neared the two mages. Negi tensely dropped into a relaxed combat stance as his enemy drew closer, preparing for battle if needed. Something was definitely unusual here, something was just _wrong,_ and he didn't like it.

To both Fate and his surprise, the Vertex's movement slowed to a complete stop mere feet in front of them. The beast seemed to be _inspecting_ them. The featureless head of the creature slowly moving around, seemingly scanning the mage's features.

In turn, the mages observed as much of the Vertex as they could. The creature certainly felt weaker than the trio they first encountered and the apparent leader of this assault, but still leaps and bounds ahead of the foes between this and the largest in scale. He wasn't exactly sure _what_ to compare this to, but despite the somewhat humanoid appearance, it certainly felt as far from humanity as one could get.

"Do you think it can communicate…?" Negi cautiously mused aloud to Fate, a pensive look on his features, the ever building tension over this mysterious behavior rendering it impossible to relax. There were more Vertex coming, groups of them moving past the Heroes as expected, but this action was so _bizarre_ based on what he knew thus far. The story about the Vertex being related to a virus from beyond the wall was looking increasingly doubtful.

"It doesn't appear to be capable of it, but that doesn't surprise me. This thing..." Fate responded, briefly pausing while giving the creature in front of them a further once over and stepping into a more serious stance. "… Feels like a construct."

Negi's head immediately whipped to the side to look at face, eyes widening in surprise. "A _construct?_ Are you certain?" The boy's voice was trepidatious, concerned. If this was truthfully a construct, it meant someone had _created_ it. The child had wondered about their enemies and this was a possibility he considered, but to have potential confirmation? While Negi didn't sense anything immediately obvious, Fate was likely vastly more experienced in the art of summoning and creating high level beings. But, now that his companion had pointed out, the child felt what he meant. Even if not the same as he was used to, he could feel some recognizable traces, but it was more along the lines of _Fate_ 's nature, that what he felt from a typical construct. More red flags were being raised as Negi's sinking feeling grew.

Before either of them could decide what to do next, the Vertex seemed to decide it had done enough observation and started moving again.

And ignored the mage's entirely.

Negi's stance tensed up, the implications and questions raised from this exchange sending his mind reeling. If Fate was correct, someone or something had created these beings and was attempting to destroy the Shinju with them. Further reinforcing that, was that they seemed to possess some measure of intelligence, enough to use a measure of tactics, distracting the Heroes while others slipped past, along with investigating the new factor that was he and Fate. It didn't seem like they were just acting on instinct. But then… Why ignore them, when it still attacked the Heroes automatically? That was perhaps the most concerning factor to Negi, raising the most questions but no potential answers. He couldn't help his mind flashing to some of the behavior displayed by The Lifemaker's constructs.

Still, he didn't have the time to think on this forever. The humanoid Vertex was moving _quite_ quickly and they had a battle to deal with. "Fate, I'll deal with that one, get ready for the rest." Negi firmly stated, turning toward the now behind them Vertex and preparing to attack.

Lightning briefly exploded in the air around Negi as his body transformed into the element, racing through the air at blinding speed and landing in front of his enemy before they could take a single step more. Pulling his fist back, the child struck with tremendous force, igniting the air into an explosion on impact with the Vertex's body and sending a low rumble across the immediate area. The creature had incredible agility, but Negi was near unmatched in speed while transformed. But, even with his incredible reflexes, the Vertex managed to muster some kind of reaction, a short hop, before it was blasted out of existence.

 _Instantly_ , Negi felt a shift in the air around him. The approaching hoard of Vertex, which initially seemed passive toward he and Fate, suddenly radiated a sense of hostility. He could feel much of the approaching hoard shift their focus and rush toward the mages, ready for battle.

"Fate, be careful using anything too powerful!" Spinning around, Negi flew into the air at the advancing hoard with a warning toward his fellow mage, pulling his hand back for another strike at a group advancing at him.

One of the snake like Vertex swung around and whipped its tail toward Negi, striking nothing but air as the child deftly avoided the blow and rushed into its guard, hitting it with another quick and light blow that turned the air around it into a fireball. He could have easily vaporized the entire group if he wanted, but Negi had other plans. If he used too much force, there was the ever present risk of damaging the Jukai and thus real world by proxy, the extent of which damage carried over still being an unknown to him. But secondly, he still wanted to observe the Vertex, perhaps get a glimpse into what this unknown enemy was capable of. The humanoid one had been incredibly quick and a risk to leave alive, but these were far slower and had much less of a chance to reach the Shinju before he or Fate noticed.

Following up its companion's death, one of the horned Vertex dove at Negi, stinger poised to skewer the mage, but like its fallen ally, the attack missed by a mile. But, Negi's enemies pressed the attack, a small glow formed in front of one of the spiked Vertex's center of mass, before firing a crackling blast of energy

This time, Negi refused to dodge, raising a hand and forming a barrier that stopped the blast dead in its tracks. This attack was positioned in a way that, had Negi dodged, it would've struck one of the Jukai's vines, and it couldn't help make the child wonder. Had his foes _planned_ this or was it just happenstance?

No, the mage received an answer that it was far more, when several of the group descended on his now stationary position like voracious piranhas, sending a multitude of blows his way. The tail like whips, stingers, and more energy blasts all converged toward him at once.

Negi raised his other hand, calling forth a volley of spears made from lightning that surrounded him like a sphere, before surging forth with tremendous speed, plowing through the bodies of the Vertex and their attacks like they were air, not even the arrow shaped one's lasers offered much resistance as it riddled them with holes.

Lightning sparking through the air once more, Negi dashed back to gain some distance from further enemies, a frown on his face while his inner thoughts raced like a storm processing all the information that had happened.

Beyond all the current holes in the Taisha's story, Negi could now confirm the Vertex possessed some capacity for intelligence and tactics. A group of them acted as a diversion so they could reach their true goal easier, they had the capacity to judge that he and Fate didn't initially meet whatever requirements meant attack on sight, before trying to lock him in place by throwing an attack he couldn't risk dodging, and then capitalizing on the chance en mass in a _coordinated_ strike. These were no animals acting on instinct. These were intelligent monsters capable of adapting to the situation on the fly. Negi felt an increasing sense of unease over wondering just what further tricks these foes possessed up their sleeves.

Seeing that they were outmatched, a hoard of the Vertex broke off from the fight and flew toward each other, where a most unusual event occurred. The many shapes and sizes all seemed to breakdown and melt together, losing their distinguishing features and blending into a large pulsing white mass that swelled with each Vertex that entered it, inside which Negi felt a rapidly rising energy.

"Negi-kun." Fate said, disengaging and landing next to the child, several large obsidian swords the size of his body circling around him and pointed toward the shifting mass ahead of them, arm raised in a relaxed manner and poised to give his weapons the command to rip into it. "I assume you plan on letting whatever is occurring now to finish?"

Negi starred tensely at the scene, hands at his side and ready to counter any unexpected attack. The smaller Vertex, that weren't joining with the ball, had backed off for the moment to surround the white ball in a defensive formation. On the one hand, perhaps this was dangerous to risk. The enemy was still a large unknown. However, at the same time, perhaps this would give them more information on the enemy, and Negi wanted to see about confirming something. The ball seemed to be taking shape into something now, and he wanted to see if it might've related to the different types of Vertex encountered. Besides, while the rise in strength was meteoric next to the other Vertex, it was still a far cry from he or Fate, but that increase in power itself was also a worrying factor.

"Yes, I want to test something. Stay at the ready to raise a barrier if something happens." Negi finally answered with a firm nod, throwing a quick side glance toward Fate and keeping the enemy in his vision.

Finally, the squirming mass started to coalesce into a shape, one Negi knew right away. The segmented yellow orbs of the tail leading to a pointed stinger, the metal faceplate resting atop a spherical platform that also connected to the tail, the new form taken by the Vertex was unmistakable. They had transformed into an exact replica of Scorpio, the same Vertex that had been destroyed upon the duo's arrival.

"What?" Negi commented with surprise, stepping back a pace. If everything before didn't confirm something bigger was at play, this certainly did. A sea of questions swarmed through Negi's mind without answer. Who created these? Why did they want to destroy the Shinju? How powerful a foe could this person be? All questions he knew would require pursuing later, they had current matters to deal with. But, there were two particular curiosities raised in the child's mind related to the now. The Scorpio here… It felt far weaker than the Vertex he felt upon arriving. Yes, the surge of power it had next to the smaller ones that formed it moments ago, was like comparing a firecracker to a cruise missile, but it still felt… _Incomplete_ next to the 'leader' of this attack force. It wasn't impossible he just didn't get a good 'feel' of the first group, it had all happened quite quickly, but even still it seemed doubtful as the same type of Vertex was among them. Though, at the thought of these creatures able to evolve even further, when they already had leaped orders of magnitude in moments, was a terrifying one indeed. And then there was the question of why did it take _this_ form in particular?

"I knew it." Fate stated with a sour scowl. Snapping his arm to full extension, the blades around him shifted themselves into a formation to slice from several points and blasted forth at incredible velocity toward the Scorpio.

The Vertex's tail reacted almost instantly, swiping through the air with blistering speed that far surpassed any of its allies short of the humanoid one from earlier. Several of the swords were shattered to pieces by the appendage, but one cleanly cut the tail at one of the segments, sending the deadly stinger flailing off to the side and paving the way for the remaining few to cut deep into the Scorpio's body in multiple locations, impacting with enough force to send the injured behemoth crashing to the floor.

Speed… Was that it? The large Vertex seemed to possess a slow main body, but in addition to power, Scorpio's tail was a significant step up in terms of speed. He and Fate were both _far_ too quick for the lesser forms to have a prayer of keeping up with, so did that mean the Vertex could actively adapt to threats by changing their form? Simple tactics were one matter, but this was something else _entirely._ Far more unsettling. If he let the remaining Vertex combine a second time, perhaps he could see about forcing them to adapt again and confirm his theory or not. Something like this needed confirmation, and who knew when the next attack would come.

"Fate, leave the smaller ones alone for the moment. I need to test something."

"I understand." Fate responded with a dour face, recalling his remaining swords back to his person.

Lightning crackling through the air once more, Negi crossed the distance between him and the regenerating Scorpio in an instant, grabbing and heaving it into the air with one firm punch, before pressing the attack and releasing several hundred arrows of light that all converged into several points of Scorpio's body. The simultaneous impacts sent a shockwave rippling through the air that tore apart what remained of Scorpio's body out of existence, felling the monster.

In nearly the same instant the arrows stuck Scorpio, Negi was back by Fate's side. "And what's your plan now, Negi-kun?" His companion asked with a brief side glance.

"I want to see if they'll form another of the larger Vertex now, see if perhaps they'll try something else to adapt." Negi responded, watching the remaining ones carefully. There seemed to still be enough left to try changing into something else again. The ones attacking the girls didn't seem to try any similar tricks, thankfully. Perhaps it was because, unlike he and Fate, the girls were quite unlikely to _let_ them with the time it took for form.

The remaining Vertex observed the mages for several moments, seemingly trying to judge the next course of action. But, when it became clear neither was going to make a move against them, all the remaining ones slowly started pooling together, just as Negi had hoped for. This time, they took yet another shape, one that was entirely unknown. It possessed a mostly flat, wide pale purple head, connected to a darker colored crescent shaped mid section the size of its head, and a large tentacle jutting out from the forehead. Below the crescent, rested a much narrower torso with two equally thin arms, before opening up to a much wider and translucent cylinder lower body. The only thing it had in common with the higher forms of the Vertex, was the similar scale of 30 meters in height.

"This one is different..." Fate dryly commented, readying his swords for a second assault. "But, it still feels comparable to the one we destroyed moments ago. Let us see if your theory is correct." Without another word, the weapons sprung forth toward their target.

Unlike the first time, however, the new Vertex made absolutely no attempt to avoid the attacks, standing perfectly still as the swords sliced through its body and cut it into several pieces, like it _wanted_ to be eviscerated by the attack. What was it planning now?

A second later, it became terrifying clear.

The severed pieces of the Vertex, instead of collapsing to the ground like before, instead briefly spasmed before each generating an exact duplicate of the original body, but it wasn't simply that. While they felt _slightly_ weaker, all of the Vertex felt _identical_ to each other. Negi and Fate had dealt with duplication techniques many times, but there was always the 'original' body that would take all the copies with it if defeated, such a thing being incredibly difficult to mask from magical senses as developed as the mages. In a moment, the Vertex had managed to shift an attack to their _advantage_ and turned one body into eight identical copies.

"It's just as I feared." Negi muttered in a low voice, body tensing up. This confirmed it without a shadow of a doubt. The Vertex weren't simply adapting tactics based on what they faced, they were becoming something more with each enemy they fought, they were _evolving._ The initial enemies faced by the mages were incredibly weak, while Negi himself had used his unparalleled speed to outmaneuver them at almost every turn, and Fate himself was also incredibly quick. In response to this, the Vertex had tried to form Scorpio, in hopes of using its dexterous and swift tail to respond to this speed, in addition to increasing their power exponentially. However, that had failed with the Scorpio _still_ hopelessly outclassed by the duo. Unable to keep pace in either power or speed and the force of the mages attacks able to more than make up for the difference in scale, it took a form that could remain safe despite the powerful blows, and instead rely on sheer numbers, which could potentially grow even further by using the mages attacks against them, to win.

However, the chill shooting up Negi's spine didn't stop there. There was still a significant gap in power compared to the Vertex in front of him, and the large one battling the Heroes or he had first sensed upon arriving. Combined with one of them being the same type, this meant the Vertex could logically evolve even _further._ But, the question was, how far could they go? Negi and Fate were leaps and bounds ahead of their current enemies, but for how long would it stay that way if their foes possessed an ability like this? Perhaps it would reach a limit eventually, but what if that limit, even if below them, was above what the Heroes were capable of? They were strong themselves and also seemed to learn quite quickly, but nothing next to this. Even if they somehow developed the ability to freely travel here, he and Fate could not remain here forever. Perhaps instantly obliterating them before they had a chance to realize what was going on and adapt would work, but they had caught the Vertex entirely by surprise that time. If they used their superior abilities and the Vertex _did_ manage to evolve further from it, past what the Heroes could content with before they had a chance to get stronger themselves… What remained of this world would be doomed. They couldn't take that chance

"Fate..." Negi began, hand clenching into a fist while watching several of the Vertex clones charge forward, ready to counter.

"I know." Fate replied before Negi could finish, recalling his swords and causing them to vanish with one motion of his hand. "We should restrain ourselves and not give them the chance to exploit this ability further."

"Destroy what you can, but try to herd them together if possible and prepare a binding circle. I have a plan to eliminate them all at once, without giving them the chance to adapt or use something too powerful." Negi commanded before dashing off, remaining in his lightning form in the event an emergency happened, but not taking advantage of the heightened speed this time.

The enemies had split into two groups of four to deal with he and Fate. Approaching the Vertex after him at an angle, in order to keep the roots of the Jukai out of the way from any dodged attacks, Negi weaved between several surges of orange lightning the Vertex fired at him from the tentacles on their heads, arriving at the front of the pack and striking the leader with a solid blow to the head, knocking it back and into one of its companions, sending them tumbling to the floor.

Another charged forward toward Negi, intent on slamming the mage against its faceplate. Though the mage could have attempted to dodge, he didn't, letting the rush strike him dead center and send the mage tumbling through the air. Even restraining his magic, Negi still had his immortality to instantly remove any injuries and pain suffered during battle. Perhaps he could exploit this adaptive ability to his advantage somewhat. If he put on a bit of a struggle, perhaps the Vertex would think something like this nearly worked and not grow significantly stronger. Still, he couldn't drag this fight out for long.

Realigning himself in the air, Negi pulled back his fist and began channeling _Sagitta Magica_ around it. The mage shot above another blast of lightning and thrust his hand forward, scattering the many arrows of lightning over the air and impacting the 3rd Vertex all over its body, not enough to break it apart and trigger further duplication, but enough to send it crashing to the floor for the moment.

The 4th Vertex fired another bolt of lightning toward Negi, striking a barrier conjured by the mage, but it refused to let go of the offensive. Continuously firing sparks of electricity at Negi, it used the move as cover to provide a safe method to close the distance to melee range, where the tentacle firing lightning briefly surged with an incredible amount before it whipped the appendage at Negi.

Straightening his hand in a manner to make a chopping motion, Negi's finger surged with his own power as he met the challenge head on. Swinging from the opposite direction of his enemy, a wall of lightning erupted from Negi's finger as he swiped horizontally, crashing into the enemy's limb with a spark and blasting top half of it out of existence entirely, leaving no chance for a stray piece to become another copy.

Undeterred, the Vertex continued forward and rammed toward Negi like one of its companions did. This time, the mage extended his other arm to catch the charging beast, before bringing up his other one to further reinforce his strength. But, even still the beast pushed him back a short distance before he stopped the momentum completely. With a powerful shove, Negi threw the beast backwards and closer to some of its recovering allies.

4 of the 8 Vertex had been thrown onto a pile, Fate having managed to maneuver two of his on top of the duo Negi had initially engaged with. The earth mage was currently dodging several blasts of lightning from his remaining two, masterfully moving through the air and avoiding the blows easily, despite the erratic nature of them.

Moving his hand once, the mage summoned dozens of obsidian swords once more. In a flash, each blade sliced through one of the Vertex an innumerable amount of times, cutting into so many tiny pieces, not a single one remained that was bigger than a person. Just to ensure even that wouldn't be enough to regenerate, were it capable of it, two massive pillars of earth exploded from the ground, snaking through the air and surrounding the remaining pieces, before ramming together at incredible speed, sandwiching the remains between them and crushing them to dust.

Movement near Negi's senses brought the child's attention back to his own foes. The one he'd struck with _Sagitta Magica_ had recovered by now and sent another rod of lightning at him that struck Negi dead center, to slight effect as he staggered himself backwards from the 'damage' of the attack.

Fate only had one left and he still had two, so he had to wrap this up quick before the ones currently in a pile could recover. Charging _Sagitta Magica_ once again, Negi dashed under the Vertex, unleashing another storm of nearly 1000 arrows this time onto the beast. Individually they were quite weak, but when used in this number and spread over the Vertex's whole body, they should have been just strong enough to blow the beast into too small pieces to regenerate and not carry any adaptation worries his upper level abilities would.

As he predicted, the beast was entirely destroyed and he couldn't sense its energy anymore. Which just left the last one, he could sense Fate had already thrown his last one onto the others and was preparing a binding circle. Dashing to its side, Negi grabbed one end of the large crescent on its body, swinging the Vertex around once for momentum, and sending it hurtling through the air and directly onto the large pileup.

"Negi-kun, now!" Fate shouted, a massive circle appearing underneath the moving Vertex pile, erecting a strong barrier all around them to prevent escape.

Dashing up to the barrier, Negi raised a hand and began weaving a spell. Channeling Magia Erebea to merge two spells, _Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens_ for power, and _Jaculatio Fulgoris,_ to concentrate the power into a focused pointed, a colossal spear of lightning appear above Negi. Almost the size of one of the large Vertex on its own, the spear had many lines on it, each crackling with lightning, in a spiral pattern that converged onto the tip of it, almost giving it a drill like appearance. Around each side of the hand guard, two pairs of pure white wings rested. With a thrust forward of his palm, the spear raced forward like a rocket at blistering speeds, impaling two of the now airborne Vertex through the thickest part of their body.

Clenching his open palm into a fist, the stored _Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens_ exploded from the spear, but in a manner unique from the base spell. The magic formed into a deadly vortex of lightning, sending stray strands of shocking electricity flying in all directions and directly into the Vertex, blowing parts of them to pieces, but this was far from the only power held within. To ensure their absolute destruction, the vortex of lightning swelled in size, enveloping and vaporizing the closest Vertex instantly. Those furthest away were sparred instant death, but were far from safe as the tornado like winds of the raging tempest pulled the colossal beings through the air like rag dolls, and directly into the deadly maelstrom at the center of the spell, ripping their bodies apart till not even a speck remained.

Landing slowly on the ground, Negi let out a relieved sigh and let his shoulders slump just a hair more than customary. That was the same spell he'd used in the demonstration a while back, but he purposefully held back the power of it to a level he was confident would be just enough to destroy the Vertex here. But, still, he felt more tired from this fight than he should have been. Was the lack of rest, on top of this sporadic high level magic usage, starting to catch up with him? It had been a few weeks, after all.

"Negi-kun." Fate said with an uncharacteristic touch of concern in his voice, landing next to the mage. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine. Everything that's happened… It's a lot to think about." Negi answered dismissively, standing up straight. The amount of revelations just from this one battle were going to be a significant cause for concern and discussion. However, it was best to do that later. The Taisha could still get the recordings of this battle, which itself meant their next talk was going to be quite a long one, and the present concern was ensuring the Heroes were alright. They seemed to be about wrapped up in their battle as well, which was good. Forestization would occur soon and they could check anyone for injuries and tend to them if needed.

But, as soon as everyone's safety was ensured. He and Fate had much to discuss…

* * *

 **SPELL TRANSLATIONS:**

 **Sagitta Magica:** Magic Archer

 **Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens:** Thunderous Gale

 **Jaculatio Fulgoris:** Throwing Thunder

* * *

 **AUTHORS NOTES:**

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay. Don't worry, I won't be skipping over the WaSuYu side of this battle. The battle just ended up feeling like far too long for a single chapter, so I thought it'd be better to split them instead of put out a 14k+ word chapter. Their side of this will be coming next chapter, hopefully soon. I also wanted to get something out before I started up college again and got busy with that.


	13. Chapter 13

Sumi gracefully landed upon one of the Jukai's many roots with a slight thud, materializing her bow and assuming a ready stance to bombard the Vertex with arrows and provide cover to her teammates. This battle was certainly unlike anything the Heroes had faced before, and considering how the last one had gone, Sumi couldn't fully dispel the apprehension that gripped her mind. But, she had to trust her friends. All three of them had new training and tools under their belt that would surely help, even if they were still beginners in respect to magic.

Seeing both Gin and Sonoko fail to connect with the humanoid Vertex, Sumi raised her bow and pulled her hand back to materialize an arrow, but halfway through the motion, she paused, uncertainty staying her hand. This enemy was the fastest foe encountered yet, a much smaller target than the usual 30 meter Vertex, and directly running across various roots. What if she missed and damaged the Jukai like in one of their previous battles? There was no controlling her arrows after they left her bow, unlike her companion's melee weapons.

No, she didn't need to take the risk. Negi and Fate had stayed back exactly for this reason, to provide cover if any Vertex slipped past them. Sumi had to remember she was part of a _team,_ not a solo unit that had to carry the group. She may not have personally liked the two enough to consider them close friends with unshakable trust, like Sonoko and Gin, but they had helped enough for her to believe in them here.

With a huff, Sumi directed her attention away from the charging Vertex and back toward the approaching hoard of smaller ones. They were starting to catch up and engage her friends now, with the largest Vertex still keeping a distance behind them. One of the Vertex surrounded by arrows, fired a blast of energy from its body that slammed into the shield form of Sonoko's weapon, while a few others started maneuvering in from the sides.

Pulling back her translucent bowstring, Sumi fired off two arrows, the first striking the Vertex firing at Sonoko's shield and destroying it in a fireball, while her second projectile impaled another of the same type that was moving into a firing position to Sonoko's side, causing it to meet a similar fate.

Gin responded to the opening by rocketing off to Sonoko's side, cleanly carving through a few of the monster's approaching the side Sumi hadn't shot. One of the snake like Vertex swung its whip at the red Hero and stuck her dead on, but the impact seemed to do little than briefly make her momentarily flinch, a far cry from the immense force the blows of the larger Vertex contained.

By now, a few of the Vertex had made their way closer toward her, and Sumi raised her bow to defend herself. But, a nagging feeling again gave her brief pause. Based on what she'd seen of the mage's in battle, they weren't exactly… _Subtle_. Surely, she should've heard some kind of explosion from them dealing with the human like Vertex and some of the lesser ones that flew past her. Yet, she hadn't heard anything.

Giving into the curiosity pricking at her brain, Sumi sparred a moment and glanced back in the direction of the duo.

What she saw, sent a chill through her body.

The Vertex was just _standing_ there, inspecting Negi and Fate, while being inspected in turn. What was going on? Why hadn't they engaged the Vertex yet? Better yet, why hadn't it tried to attack them? Was this all some kind of trick to let the Vertex just waltz up to the Shinju uncontested?

The sound of rushing wind brought Sumi's attention back to her front, just in time to experience one of the snake Vertex slam its whip into her right arm, forcing a pained cry out of her mouth and staggering the girl back several paces. Even if they weren't anywhere near the strength of the largest ones, it didn't mean their blows couldn't still _hurt._ That one strike felt like someone had struck her with a bat, nothing serious and survivable, but still painful.

Jumping back, Sumi avoided another swing by the beast. Readying her bow, Sumi embedded an arrow through the torso of her target, though slightly off center from her throbbing arm, destroying its upper body in a small explosion, the lower half crumpling to the ground. Oddly, the smaller Vertex didn't seem to possess quite the same unreal regenerative abilities of the larger ones

Desummoning her bow, Sumi placed a hand over her injured limb, a soft green glow appearing around her palm while a healing spell mended the damage, slowly dulling most of the pain coming from it. Using magic still felt like it drained more energy than it should've, but at least she could mend simple wounds like this without collapsing in her transformed state. But, there was a far more pressing matter on her mind than her own injuries.

Spinning her head back toward the mages, more questions sprung up in her mind at what she saw. There was now a cloud of dissipating smoke in front of Negi, but no sign of the humanoid Vertex from earlier, and Fate was rushing at the remaining Vertex near them, all likewise diving toward him to meet the charge, at blinding speed. They were fighting the Vertex now, so it didn't _seem_ like this was a trick, but then what in the world was that behavior?

Never mind, she couldn't dwell on this. They were fighting the Vertex now and had no intent of letting the monsters through. She would have much to talk about, but Sumi had to focus on her own battle, before another creature took advantage of the opening to attack.

And, just as that thought entered her head, Sumi heard crackling energy off to her side. Not even bothering to lay eyes on the attack, Sumi leaped to her side, an explosion sounding where she had been a second later.

Rematerializing her bow in tandem with her body's motion, Sumi aligned herself to face the enemy. One of the spiked Vertex rested behind a few of the other types, preparing another blast while its teammates advanced on her. It was eerily like the support Sonoko and Gin provided her. Just what _were_ the Vertex really?

Pulling back her bowstring, Sumi readied another arrow and prepared for combat once more.

* * *

Sonoko leaped to the side, avoiding a blast of energy by mere inches and firmly landing atop another root. Yet, just as she did, she spotted an egg shaped projectile in the corner of her eye. Unable to transform her spear in time, Sonoko threw out her free hand and tried forming a barrier in front of her, a circular see through shape barely appearing in front of her before the projectile slammed into it, erupting in an explosion that shattered the construct like glass and sent Sonoko tumbling back from the force, several cuts opening themselves on her hand in the process.

Before she could even rise from her back, one of the orb shaped Vertex dove at her from above with its stinger. Reaching out with her injured palm, Sonoko grabbed the sides of its appendage with an iron grip, ignoring the searing pain coming from her bleeding hand, and thrust her spear forward with her right, cleanly impaling the monster through its body and breaking it apart. Interesting to her, was that these forms didn't seem to trigger the Flower Calming Ceremony

Quickly, Sonoko leaped to her feet before any other attacks could happen. This fight was unlike anything they'd experienced before. The smaller Vertex were far less deadly and even a few hits wouldn't cause serious injury, like what had happened with getting slammed by Scorpio's tail, but they couldn't be ignored. Their speed and numbers meaning they could relentlessly attack from all angles. Yet, worse still, the largest Vertex was waiting in the background, well behind the enemy lines, barraging them with its far more powerful bombs. Both worked together in tandem to create an opening to exploit, something Sonoko would've even called _tactical_. They would need a new strategy and had to regroup.

"Mino-san!" Calling for Gin, Sonoko once more took to the skies while avoiding a bomb. Transforming her weapon into its shielded form, she blocked two of the snake Vertex's whip like tails, again gritting her teeth through the flash of fire shooting up her left hand, angling her shield to protect from further attacks while she landed closer toward Gin.

As expected, Gin landed a short distance behind her, before jumping a second time and sailing over Sonoko, cutting the Vertex attacking her shield to pieces. "You got another idea?" Gin asked, head darting around for any further approaching Vertex. As expected from the strongest of her group, the weaker Vertex seemed barely able to do even superficial damage

"I do." Raising her shield to the side, Sonoko blocked another brief blast of lighting from the spiked Vertex. One of the centipede ones rushed her side, but Sonoko swung her shield around and slammed the outer edge of it into the beast's midsection, severing it cleanly in half. Her shield form may have been unrivaled in defense and useless for offense against the larger Vertex, but just as she thought, their defensive power was similarly far lower, letting this instrument for defense be nearly as deadly as her spear form against them.

"Let's move back to Wasshi and help her out. Try and take care of any on the way, but don't let them separate you." Sonoko instructed. The largest and most deadly Vertex was waiting behind the enemies, slowly advancing forward like a predator closing in for the kill. There were too many smaller ones to safely approach and take it out, but if they slowly fell back while dealing with the smaller ones as they retreated to Sumi, perhaps enough would charge ahead of the big one's line of fire their numbers could be whittled down to a safer level and away from the powerful explosives. If it _really_ came down to it, they could fall back to the mages for help, but she didn't want that if it could be helped. Fate was right, they had a duty as the Shinju's protectors to be prepared for the Vertex, no matter what happened. And, as the leader, Sonoko had an extra responsibility on her shoulders. She wouldn't let something like the last battle happen. _Not ever again._

"Got it, let's go!" Gin responded, leaping in a low arc just a hair before Sonoko followed, both avoiding another lance of energy from the Vertex.

Landing over a few hundred meters away, the duo barely had time to collect their bearings before another wave of the monsters descended upon them like sharks tasting blood in the water. Energy rained from above, whips and horns closed in from all around them at once. What their current enemies lacked in raw strength, they made up for with ferocity and sheer numbers.

Sonoko raised her shield upward, blocking two strikes and forcing any Vertex to funnel toward the sides. Every nerve in her arm was screaming at her from the pain shooting up her hand, but she wouldn't let it stop her. She _couldn't_ let it stop her.

Covering another side, Gin responded by using the broad side of her left axe to stop one of the snake's dead in its tracks, bashing it with the flat side to send it crashing into one of its allies.

Eyes constantly watching for threats, Sonoko saw one of the orb like Vertex charging in from the opposite side Gin covered. She wasn't going to be able to cover this one, the top of her shield was still being bombarded with attacks! "Behind us!" She quickly warned, angling her body to avoid the thin stinger of the enemy and trusting Gin to respond in time.

Gin's head whipped to her other side, giving her just enough to raise her other axe and block the pointed weapon, a slight clang echoing on impact with the metal. "Gonna have to hit harder than that!"

Not letting it make another move, Sonoko kicked her foe's body where the stinger and orb met, caving in most of the sphere and sending the Vertex flying outside the protective shadow of her shield.

Before Sonoko could decide upon her next course of action, an explosion sounded over toward Sumi's direction and drew her attention. A thin, enough to barely see through it, cloud of smoke was slowly dissipating in the air, creating a gap between the Vertex closing toward them. Sumi must've cleared an opening for her and Gin!

"Let's go, Mino-san!" Sonoko ordered, shifting her shield to the pair's front side for additional cover, launching into the air with Gin, this time with significantly more force, now that they had a clearer path to Sumi.

And not a moment too soon had they taken off, plowing through and dispersing the remains of the smoke cloud. Sonoko saw several of the smaller Vertex closing in on Sumi. With a battle cry, she transformed her weapon into its longer reaching spear form, running one of the centipede like ones through before it could attack Sumi. Gin followed suit an instant later, cleaving one of the snake's in two with one powerful swing, while another shared the first's fate a second afterward.

"Thanks for clearing the way, Wasshi~." Sonoko said with a grin toward her friend, letting Gin handle the single remaining foe. Sumi had a few injuries across her body, but thankfully nothing too severe looking, some small cuts in various places and a light bruise over most of her upper arm seemingly being the worst. "Are you okay?" They had a few moments to catch their breath and plan before more enemies would arrive.

"I'm alright, Sonocchi." Sumi replied, letting out a relieved sigh, tension easing out of her body. "What about you and Gin-" Sumi's words died and her eyes instantly shot toward Sonoko's hand, a sharp gasp of horror escaping her mouth.

"Woah, Sumi. What's wrong?" Gin worriedly asked, rushing over to her side at the sound, quickly scanning over her for injuries.

"Y-Your hand." Sumi stuttered with concern, pointing toward Sonoko's injured hand. The injury had already been damaging from the initial impact, but after all the further abuse Sonoko had it endure, her palm and fingers looked like she'd tried to handle the sharp end of a razor blade. Nearly that entire part of her body was covered in blood, some of the lacerations looking as deep as they were painful. "I think I can take care of that." Sumi stated, though the confidence in her voice was shaky.

"I'm sure you can, Wasshi~." Sonoko stated supportively, holding up her hand toward Sumi to let the other work her magic.

Dematerializing her bow, Sumi placed both hands around Sonoko's own, muttering a brief chant with almost none of the hesitation she held when first demonstrating the magic, a soft green glow forming around them.

Sonoko slowly felt the injuries of her hand start knitting themselves together, a mild tingling resonating through it like when a limb fell asleep. Blood stopped gushing out of the lacerations, skin reattached itself and started scarring over, and the and the pain started thankfully ebbing away, tension slowly leaving her body with it.

Soon, Sumi ended the spell, relaxing her hands with a heavy sigh. "There… I think that's as much as I'm capable of." The Hero commented between short breaths.

Sonoko wiped the drying blood away with her uninjured hand, flexing it a few times to test it. It wasn't as smooth or rapid as when the mages had healed them, her hand still felt a little stiff and some of the deeper cuts looked half healed. However, she still felt worlds better already and confident she could fight again without gritting her teeth through every impact of her shield. "Thanks Wasshi, I feel much better. Magic like this is a huge help." The girl smiled warmly at her friend.

"Thanks... Sonocchi." Sumi responded, hear features relaxing into a relieved smile between her tired words.

"You gonna be okay there, Sumi?" Gin voiced with concern, a small frown on her lips. "Looks like that took a lot out of you."

"I can still fight." Sumi protested with a shake of her head, having finally seemed to catch her breath. "I don't fight at melee range, it shouldn't be an issue. We still have plenty of Vertex to finish."

Glancing backwards with her friends, Sonoko noticed the Vertex had expectedly gotten significantly closer. Unfortunately, not as many had broken formation as she was hoping. There weren't _too_ many left, but most of the Vertex were still clumped somewhat tightly together and her team didn't have many options in respect to more wide reaching attacks, like the mages did. Sumi could cover quite a bit of ground with her arrow explosions, but these targets were small and nimble, she could easily miss and damage the Jukai. If only she could keep them still for a moment…

Sonoko's eyes went wide as inspiration stuck her like a lightning bolt from the thought. "I have an idea!" She proudly declared with a wide grin, earning curious looks from her friends. "I've been practicing a bit with shadow magic. I'll need Mino-san to protect me for a few moments, but I think I can use it to hold the Vertex in place for a moment, and then Wasshi can use her arrows~. That should take care of most of them. Wasshi should then shoot the big one while Mino-san rushes it. I bet it can't block both of them~."

Sumi's mouth curved into an unsure frown. "Sonocchi, are you sure you can manage that? There's a lot of them and we've been mainly practicing defensive magic..."

"I'll be fine, Wasshi." Sonoko reassured with a confident nod. "They're pretty weak next to the big Vertex, so I think I can hold them in place for a second~. Even if a few survive, they should be easy to handle. The Vertex are getting pretty close now anyway, so we need to move fast."

Looking toward their enemies, Sumi could see Sonoko was right. The hoard had gotten quite close now and some of them would be in attacking range soon. "Alright." The archer returned the nod after a quick sigh, materializing her bow and several arrows with it in tandem. "I'll do my best to provide covering fire!"

"We know you can do it, Sumi. Let's go, Sonoko!" Leading the charge Gin soared through the air to draw the most attention, effortlessly cutting through one of the Vertex that tried to attack her while landing.

Landing right behind her, Sonoko shifted her weapon into its shield form and held it upward to provide the most cover. "Go ahead and do whatever you're gonna do, I've got you!" Gin confidently reassured Sonoko, falling into a defensive position around her.

With complete faith in her friend protecting her, Sonoko began concentrating and working her magic. The sounds of battles echoed all around her, the rushing of air from everyone's rapid movies, Gin's battle cries as she cut through their foes, chaos surrounded her, but Sonoko only paid the bare minimum attention to all those occurrences, she had another task to do. She focused her senses on all of the shadows around her, the mostly still ones cast by herself and Gin, to the much more frantic and active ones of the Vertex. The former was easy to focus on, but the latter was far more difficult, even if some of them stayed at range, always dancing around and making it trying to properly sense it, but Sonoko refused to let it pull her attention too thin to accomplish her task.

She remembered he attempts at making a line of pure shadows, along with how painfully hard it had been to land on it, even without being transformed, twisting and binding its movement to her will, stretching her control over the area. She may not have been experienced in offensive magic and had to substitute using a proper named spell for a less powerful unnamed one to do this, but her raw power was boosted to such an extent while transformed, it should've been enough to compensate If she could form a line of shadow beneath the Vertex, it would be enough to pierce their bodies and turn the battlefield into a shooting gallery for Sumi.

Finished channeling the energy together for her spell, Sonoko took a deep breath and slightly raised her weapon. It was now or never! "Mino-san, get near me!"

Slamming down the base of her weapon in sync with her cast and Gin retreating next to her, lines of shadow rippled outward and erupted from the ground like a shockwave. Like spears, the shadow constructs effortlessly pierced through the Vertex, ripping through them despite being blunt tipped from the sheer force they rose with. Some were lucky and were only stuck once, but others were skewered at multiple points on their body. Nearly all the remaining ones had been firmly locked in place, with the lucky ones avoiding the dangerous spikes all together countable on one hand.

Without even needing to receive a command, Sumi's arrows flew through the air in almost the same instant, every single projectile cleanly hitting its mark, a bright blue glow briefly enveloping the struck Vertex, before a thunderous series of explosions split the air. Each fireball rapidly expanded outward, swallowing up any nearby Vertex that hadn't been damaged by Sumi's arrows, shattering the shadows binding them like fragile glass from their destructive shockwaves and blanketing much of the area in smoke. The fog made it somewhat difficult to tell for Sonoko, but there didn't even seem to be 5 of the small Vertex left after their coordinated attack.

"Mi-" Sonoko had to pause for a moment to collect herself, nearly feeling her legs give out from under her and mind starting to fade from the wave of exhaustion caused by her spell that threatened to crush her consciousness outright. "Mino-san, I've got the rest here!" Speaking with as much strength in her words as possible, Sonoko urged her friend onward. They didn't have time to stop and worry for her.

"On it! Watch yourself Sonoko!" Gin quickly warned by leaping through the air toward the largest of the Vertex. Now, Sonoko just had to deal with the stragglers while she had energy left.

Seeing one of the snake's approach her from the right, Sonoko bashed the creature's body in with her shield, the normal momentum of her weapon nearly dragging her to the floor with it in her tired state. Every moment made her body scream at her for rest, that spell had taken far more out of her than she'd expected, but she refused to obey the demand. There were only two more for her to deal with!

The next one, one of the orb shaped Vertex, dove at Sonoko with stinger ready, only to strike air as she weaved her body inches to the right and narrowing avoiding it stabbing her. Countering, Sonoko slammed her shield down on the extended stinger, splitting it from the body, before thrusting her shield forward and caving in the monster's orb body. That only left one of the monsters.

Turning to face her last enemy, one of the ranged Vertex, Sonoko shifted her shield to her front, blocking a blast of energy, the impact causing her legs to start trembling. She had to end this and _quic_ _k._ Even keeping her eyes open was a struggle.

Mustering up her remaining strength, Sonoko jumped into the air and plowed through the Vertex's beam, parts of the attack splintering across her shield while she surged through it, till she reached her target and crashed into it, falling to the ground with a dull thud and tumbling a few times from the impact.

Struggling to push herself upright, Sonoko quickly glanced around for any more of her enemies. There was still some last remnants of smoke, but she didn't see anymore of her enemies. With her job done, she focused toward their last foe.

Sailing through the air and a small cloud, Gin pulled back an axe to strike the Vertex. The Heroes' opponent wasn't going to be easy prey though and moved the flowing scarf around its 'neck' like a whip towards Gin, but, the girl was ready. Tossing a single axe, Gin severed the defense at nearly the base of the Vertex's body, causing it to sail right past it and toward the Jukai.

"I've got more for you!" Gin declared with fire in her voice. Using magic, her axe abruptly changed direction with no visible force, flying back into Gin's waiting palm, both her weapons then igniting with flames while she spun with the momentum of her previously thrown weapon, creating a deadly flaming vortex that slammed into her target with such incredible force, it nearly crashed the Vertex to the ground on impact. Massive cuts and gashes appeared on the beast while the raging inferno danced over its body, throwing pieces and chunks of it to the wind and burning them to nothingness while they fell to the Jukai's roots.

Seeing her friend cleanly slicing up the last Vertex, Sonoko let out a relieved sigh, shoulders slumping from her sitting position. That was the last enemy her team had to deal with, and the mages were surely more than fine. They could-

A sense of danger and movement flashed in the corner of her vision.

Sonoko flipped her head in the direction of it and her eyes went wide. One of the orb like Vertex was coming right for her, she'd somehow missed one between the smoke and her exhaustion!

Barely able to react, Sonoko felt the sharp stinger tear into her side, forcing a pained shout out of her mouth. Mustering up what little remained of her strength, Sonoko grabbed and removed the stinger with one hand, while swinging her weapon around with her other and bashing the Vertex with its blunt end, sending it crashing to the floor, unmoving.

Taking one last glancing around, Sonoko saw the battlefield was _finally_ clear and the familiar Flower Calming Ceremony was beginning. With things concluded, she gently placed a hand onto her injured side, wincing briefly, to access the damage. Thankfully, it seemed like her reflexes didn't fail her and she'd managed to dodge _just_ enough for the attack to end up a rather large gash over full impalement, not too deep as well.

Hearing both of her friends calling out to her, brought Sonoko out of her daze, making her briefly glance at them. "I'm fiiiine~!" Sonoko called out for some reassurance, not having the energy for anything else, as her last action before the light of the world changing overtook her

* * *

When the light faded, Sumi saw the world around them had returned to the same ordinary scenery of their modest town, same ordinary clothes, a far cry from the fantastical landscape of the Jukai and outfits worn when fighting. Though, the Great Seto Bridge they were transported near at the end of their battles was still very impressive. However, there was one element missing, or rather two specifically…

"Where'd Negi-san and Fate-san go?" Sumi cautiously voiced, glancing around with narrowed eyes, yet seeing no signs of the two. She needed to clear up any confusion over what in the world had happened with the Vertex ignoring them. But, that could wait for the moment. If they weren't around to tend to it, then Sumi had a job to do.

"Gin, do you think you could contact them?" Sumi asked, briefly switching her focus to Gin.

"Yeah, sure. See how Sonoko's doing while I do that." Gin responded, a concerned frown on her face while looking toward their leader, rummaging through her pocket to find her phone.

Leaned against one of the walls surrounding the shrine in a sitting position, Sonoko looked like she had seen better days. The blonde looked utterly _exhausted_. She usually liked to nap at various times during the day and sometimes looked sleepy, but that was different from this expression, which looked more like she'd just gone through another one of their training camps without any rest. Somewhat worryingly, she seemed to be breathing a bit heavily and looked a little pale, made worse by the hand covering the large cut Sumi had seen the last of the small Vertex give her. She hoped her friend was just exhausted, her display of magic had been incredible for the near non-existent training they'd had in offensive spells, but Sumi couldn't shake the feeling something was deeply _wrong._

"Sonocchi..." Sumi gently said, worry clearly in her words, crouching down on Sonoko's injured side. "Are you alright? Let me see that injury, maybe I can do something..." Looking at the bits of injured flesh visible beneath Sonoko's hand, Sumi continued. She was rather tired herself from the battle and using some magic, but if the mages weren't around to heal it right now, maybe Sumi could at least help ease the pain till they got here. This was why she had focused so much on healing magic, to help her friends.

"Hey Wasshi..." Sonoko weakly responded, her voice devoid of the usual 'cutesy' sleepiness she spoke with when roused from a nap, replaced entirely by very real fatigue. Even still, she forced a small smile onto her face for her friend. "I'm okay. Just a little tired… It doesn't hurt too much now, but sure..." Sonoko lazily lowered her hand.

Sumi couldn't help tensing up a bit when she saw the full extent of the injury. The area around the wound looked extremely red and swollen. Ever since she started specializing in healing magic, Sumi had started doing a little medical research in hopes it might help her understand the wounds she healed and better fix them, even if the magic largely seemed to be conceptually based for 'healing' injuries. She was far from an expert, but with the look of the wound, the still fading color from Sonoko's face, shortness of breath and her comment about it not hurting much now… The sinking feeling only grew by the moment and she had to confirm it.

"Sonocc-" Sumi's words died when she looked back toward Sonoko's face and saw the girl appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness, head rolling lightly to one side before she raised it back up, but it seemed to be a losing battle and she slipped further and further away with each attempt.

"S-Sonocchi. H-hey!" Panic quickly started rising in Sumi's voice, lightly prodding her leader on the shoulder in the hope some conversation might help bring them back into the waking world.

"What's going on?" Gin, hearing the commotion, quickly rushed over and took a position on Sonoko's other side, her phone forgotten for the moment, Negi's worried voice coming from out of it and echoing Gin's question. "Hey, stay with us, Sonoko!" Her worry starting to match Sumi's, Gin almost shouted the words.

Not even responding, Sonoko suddenly slumped to one side, Sumi quickly catching her before they could hit the hard concrete. However, her panic only rose even _further_ when she felt something wet coming from Sonoko's face, that made her veins turn to ice when she saw what it was on her shirt. _Blood._

Sumi's mind raced into overdrive. This was bad, _really_ bad. Whatever struck Sonoko must've been incredibly venomous, but why did it take effect _this_ fast right after forestization ended? Did it have something to do with being transformed or not? But, more importantly, what was she going to do about this?! The mages were obviously going to rush over, she heard Gin say something over the phone she was too preoccupied to make out exactly, but it didn't seem like they could raise the dead! What if they got here too late? Was Sumi really going to be helpless to aid her friends while they inched closer to death till someone else intervened _again?_

 _No._

Sumi's hand curled into a determined fist, reaching for her phone. She wasn't going to be powerless this time. She could do something about this, this was what Sumi had been training to prevent. She remembered the warning Negi said, that using healing magic without good enough training could potentially have side effects. But, she _also_ remembered him saying it was still better then leaving the injury unattended and the two mages were going to be here soon. She had _some_ training in healing magic and transforming vastly boosted their powers, so even if fully healing something life threatening might've been beyond her, maybe, just maybe she could buy time to ensure Sonoko was safe.

Gently easing Sonoko onto the ground, Sumi tapped her phone and transformed, feeling power swell through her body. Not wasting a second more, Sumi placed her hands over Sonoko and started chanting a spell, putting every ounce of controlled power into it as she could manage.

" _Practe bigi nar, Tui gratia Jupiter gratia sit. **Cura**!"_ Green energy started flowing from Sumi's hands around Sonoko. The immediate priority was minimizing the poison's effects and trying to slow the spread or remove it outright. With the minimal supernatural senses she had, Sumi focused on the foreign agent, targeting it with her magic. Unsurprisingly, the task was far from easy. She hadn't deal with something like poison and the cascading damage it caused, let alone from something as powerful as the Vertex, but Sumi _refused_ to let that beat her, fighting with all her willpower.

She heard Gin say something that sounded encouraging beside her, but she couldn't make out what the words were. The previous battle and how much energy she was pouring into this without regard for her well being, was starting to catch up to her. A wave of exhaustion started coming over her, blurring her vision, making her start to wobble from the effort of staying upright, sapping her focus. Even still, she kept up her healing. She could see Sonoko's breathing starting to stabilize and the tiniest trace of color return to her features with it. If Sumi really had to, she'd keep this up till she passed out.

Starting to feel herself slump backwards, Sumi felt a pair of hands firmly grip both her shoulders to help keep her upright. "-umi, hey Sumi!" Gin's voice brought the girl out of the trance she'd worked herself into.

"H-huh, wh-" Sumi stammered in response, barely able to organize her thoughts enough to speak much.

"Washio-san, it's alright, you can relax now. Fate will take over." Negi's voice came from the opposite side Gin's had, carrying a gentleness toward it while he and Gin slowly eased her backwards till she was resting against Gin's arms.

"This was certainly an inexperienced effort." Fate commented, leaning over Sonoko and performing the same job Sumi had been moments ago, but with a far more composed and experienced air surrounding all his actions, each motion of his hands was controlled and precise, knowing exactly how and where to focus the spell for maximum effect.

Gin started opening her mouth, eyebrows scrunching up defensively in her friend's place, but Fate continued speaking and cut her off. "However, you still did well. Far better than I would've expected from someone with your level of practice, even with your circumstances. Your friend's survival might've been in question if you didn't act and contact us so quickly. Nogi-san should be fine shortly." Not taking his eyes off his task, Fate praised. Sumi could barely tell with how close to the edge of falling asleep she was, but the other actually sounded _sincere_ in the words, a rarity from his general disinterest.

Gin's features relaxed into a relieved smile, looking down at Sumi with approving eyes. "Good job Sumi. Get some rest, I ain't going anywhere and you look exhausted."

Sumi felt a tired, but none the less happy, smile works its way onto her face. She still had such a long way to go with this, but she managed to still make good use of her new powers and contributed to her team. Maybe she could finally start pulling more of her weight next to Sonoko and Gin's impressive talents and strength. With enough time to develop it, Sumi was starting to feel like they wouldn't need to worry about another disaster and could stand up to any situation.

But… Those were thoughts for another time. Gin was right, she felt completely and utterly _drained_ after everything, her eyes were already starting to close on their own even. Plus, Gin's arms felt so comfortably warm… They had _much_ to discuss, but she could deal with questioning the mages another time.

Satisfied her friend was safe, Sumi drifted off into sleep.

* * *

 **SPELL TRANSLATIONS:**

 **Cura  
** Latin: _Tui gratia Jupiter gratia sit._ _ **Cura!**_ **  
**English: _Let the grace of Jupiter be for your sake._ _ **Heal!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, but here's a long chapter to make up for it. The last part was going to be its own chapter, but given it was a little shorter than expected, this'll probably be my last update till college gets out, and it'd been a while since I last updated, I felt it worked better as a single update.

And on the note of college getting out, that happens in a few weeks and I should have a ton of extra time, time I'm hoping to put into this story. So, over summer, I'm hoping to put out quite a few updates and not have it be 1-2 months between new chapters. Look forward to that, hopefully!

* * *

"I told you they couldn't be trusted, Negi-kun." Fate pointedly commented from his chair, leaning a fist against his cheek, limb propped up by the construct's elbow resting against a desk.

"I know Fate, I know." Negi tensely replied with a frown, tapping his finger against his chin, pacing back and forth around the room.

After tending to the Heroes wounds, Negi and Fate had waited until the Taisha were nearby to pick up the trio before vacating the premise and returning to their present lodgings. Negi wasn't too fond of leaving the girls after what happened, but he and Fate had confirmed they were in stable condition and, though the Taisha weren't the most trustworthy about honesty, he knew the Heroes were at least safe around them. He and Fate had much to discuss in respect to the implications of their latest battle and it couldn't wait. Whatever was at play here… It was much greater than they had expected.

"The Vertex are some kind of construct and had to of been created by someone. Not only that, we know the virus story can't be true, yet it's supposedly the reason for why the outside world died past the Shinju-sama's barrier..." The mage started musing aloud, worry infecting his words underneath the stern tone. "I think that story has to be a cover up and the Vertex, or whomever created them, are responsible for whatever happened to the rest of the world."

"I agree." Fate levelly responded, eyes slowly following Negi's pacing. "I doubt it's a coincidence, especially with the fervent attempts by the Taisha to steer us away from venturing beyond the barrier. They also operate under a different calendar date which was signaled by the Shinju appearing to protect what remained of the world from this 'virus', so we can assume something related to the Vertex likely occurred almost 300 years ago."

"There's far too many questions and not enough answers..." Negi grumbled with a sigh. Who created these monsters and for what purpose? Why had they ignored him and Fate initially? What was their purpose for attacking the Shinju? Did they have some particular vendetta against it or perhaps what it was protecting? If the Taisha were hiding _this_ much, was the current situation possibly even more dire than it appeared as well?

Coming to a stop, Negi looked toward Fate with a furrowed brow, hand tensely clenched, but not quite into a fist. "Fate, I think we should take a trip outside the barrier and see what the state of the outside world is. Even if we tried to force the answers out of the Taisha, I still suspect they'd try to keep as much hidden as possible and it'd be quicker to confirm matters with our own eyes. Especially if we might be dealing with another world ending situation..."

At this, Fate's typically neutral expression narrowed, his hand lowering while sitting up straighter, addressing Negi with a heavy face. "Negi-kun, I disagree. Exploring outside the world would only cause more problems."

The mage raised a questioning eyebrow toward his companion. "But we're dealing with something of a far higher scale than we initially expected. The Heroes are quite strong themselves, but we're a lot stronger and if it's something we could fix, we should look into it."

"And that is precisely why we should be careful delving into matters we don't know the full picture of." Fate responded, not deterred in the slightest. "You, of all people, should know exactly how complicated the situation can be when it concerns the fate of an entire world. We have yet to find a way back to our own and you already have the Blue Mars Project resting on your shoulders."

Negi's expression faltered for just a moment at Fate's words. Oh, he was _well_ aware of how precarious the situation was back home and what rested on it. He was a significant part of the project and, even with notes left for others on how to continue, any complications early on could become a severe setback. Even still, just leaving things as they were didn't feel right and conviction returned to his face before he continued. "I know… But we're here right now and could potentially make a big difference that the people of this world might not have the chance to do. It's because I have you to rely on to help further ways to get home while I'm busy with other matters, like helping organize how to teach the girls magic, that I believe we can manage both."

"And if we can't?" Fate retorted. "Delving too far into this could potentially be opening a door that can't be closed. While we don't know the abilities of whoever created the Vertex, do remember how much stronger The Lifemaker was than the constructs created with her powers, from the weakest ones to the far more powerful ones, like myself." Narrowing their eyes, the Averruncus continued. "Perhaps things are different here, especially given the powers displayed by the Vertex and their adaptive ability. Maybe they have already far outgrown their creator and their original limits… However, we are likely dealing with something that brought about the end of the world. Even if humanity itself lacks power in this world, it clearly does not lack those _with_ it, given the existence of the Shinju and the Vertex. If we draw the attention of whatever they're warring against and it turns out to be beyond our abilities, then there is likely nothing here that could stop it. Or, it could potentially cause significant damage to what remains of humanity if it something we can defeat, but not without a prolonged fight. More than one of your father and Jack Rakan's spars required redrawing maps when they got carried away. Shikoku isn't that large."

Negi frowned, crossing his arms for a moment to think. Fate did have him there. While he wouldn't assume whatever this threat was comparable to The Lifemaker without evidence, they were capable of bringing the beginning and end to entire worlds single handily and had crippled a group of the world's strongest mages in two moves, Fate had a point. Even if they could handle it, something that could possibly be responsible for ending the world likely wouldn't be easy.

Still… There were a lot of 'maybes' prefacing everything. The problem was that Fate was entirely right in that if it was a worst case scenario, there'd be no going back if whatever it was stepped up to confront them. That did raise the question of _why_ hadn't they made a move personally already, but perhaps they had their reasons. The Lifemaker hadn't personally gotten involved until the world's armies were at her doorstep, due to wanting to minimize unneeded deaths and preferring more subtle methods when possible. Maybe there were circumstances explaining the inaction here.

"You can't be in two places at once, Negi-kun. I know you want to try and help everyone you can, but you need to remember what I said. Our priority should be returning home and our own world's problems." Finally standing up, Fate lectured with a calm tone. "I am not suggesting we simply abandon this world. We merely need to ensure we can reliably get back to our world and that the situation is under control there first."

"I know that, Fate." Negi said with a resigned sigh. He certainly didn't like it, but while the child was amazing at multi-tasking to the point some questioned if he was even human, which was quite ironic now given what his current status was, he still had clear limits. "But, we don't know how stable the situation is. With Mundus Magicus, we had roughly a decade until it collapsed before my plan went into action. The situation here seems to have lasted for at least around 300 years, but Mundus Magicus had existed for _thousands_ and was on the verge of collapse. I need to confirm the situation is stable here. If it's not, then we might not have a choice in the matter."

Fate crossed his arms, meeting Negi's gaze with an unblinking stare while considering the other mage's terms. "Very well, that's acceptable. Understandably, the Taisha word may not be the most reliable. Do you have any other plans for investigating this without the risks we discussed?"

Finally coming to an agreement, Negi's face rose to a satisfied smile before speaking with a nod. "I do. Back when the Heroes were fighting against the summoned constructs, I sensed and saw a unique presence observing it. It didn't seem hostile and we had other issues to tend to, so I didn't have time to pursue it before it left."

At this, Fate tilted his head a touch, curious where his friend was going with this. "Do you mean that blue bird? Yes, something was clearly supernatural about it. It felt like a spirit, a person even."

"Correct." Negi nodded once more. "I don't know what it is, but it seems to be one of the only beings on the island with some kind of significant supernatural presence aside from the Shinju-sama and Heroes. I think it's worth at least investigating what that being is. Maybe we'll find some answers. If nothing else, we can at least confirm if it's safe or not. It seems to have some interest in the Heroes." This was the second questionable presence he'd felt across the island that he couldn't answer what it was. He was positive this wasn't the same feeling he'd detected when running their initial experiments to try getting home, and now that a good reason to investigate it presented itself, he was certainly going to take it. The first signature didn't seem to move far from where he'd initially sensed it, while this one seemed to have a much more active interest in what was going on with the Heroes, so it was a priority.

"I suppose you have a point. Let's go find whatever this being is. We'll decide how to handle the Taisha afterwards. I'll take us to the general area it's at." Fate replied, already preparing to transport the pair.

* * *

High in the sky, Fate looked over the landscape of Shikoku with Negi. The last vestiges of sunlight had vanished and given way to the darkness of a mostly clear night blanketing the current landscape, save the various population centers pushing away the shadows with their lights. For a normal person, seeing any discerning details, especially at this time of evening, would've been a chore, but with Fate's enhanced perceptions, he could clearly and sense across the whole island.

"There."

And with those same perceptions, Fate found their target nigh immediately, motioning toward the almost spectral blue bird flying through the air, likewise soaring high through the air. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprising given the previous sighting, it seemed to be traveling in the direction Fate sensed the three Heroes were.

"Good, let's try talking to them. They feel more like a person, actually reminds me somewhat of Sayo-san, and I don't feel anything hostile from them... But we should still be careful." Negi commented before leisurely floating through the air toward the bird, quick enough to ensure they would soon catch up, but slow enough to not suddenly appear beside them and take the entity by surprise, a pace Fate soon matched.

"Hello!" Upon reaching a few meters behind the blue being, Negi threw out a quick and friendly greeting to get the bird's attention.

However, instead of simply bringing the bird's focus toward them, Negi's greeting got a _far_ more exaggerated reaction, with it briefly flapping its wings to come to halt and letting out some kind of shocked shriek, turning toward the two with the closest expression of surprise that a bird could physically manage.

"Easy, it's alright. We don't mean you any harm." Negi continued, forming a barrier like platform beneath the entity for them to land on, calmly raising his hands and slightly taken aback by the reaction he'd gotten, but maintaining a relaxed demeanor and voice.

Content to let Negi sort out the introduction, Negi was usually better with being friendly then he was, unless whatever this was turned hostile, Fate watched the exchange beside his friend, sizing up the spirit, now that they were closer and he could get a better look. He could tell Negi's earlier comparison was correct, there was some similarity toward his ghostly student, he could sense past just the guise of a bird in front of him. This was, or at least used to be, a human.

The bird looked at the pair, seemingly unsure and still trying to process the current events, hovering in place above the circle Negi had provided.

"We just want to talk. I know you can understand what we're saying" Negi gently continued, keeping his words and expression welcoming. "I can see you're more than just this."

The bluebird didn't give any response for several moments, considering the idea, until it seemed to reach a conclusion that was accompanied by a brief light around its being that rapidly grew in luminosity and size, before soon dimming and coalescing into an entirely different shape than what had been present a moment ago. Instead of a small bird, before the mages now floated a spectral girl who appeared no more than a couple of years older than them. Beneath the blue aura surrounding her, flowed a long dirty blonde ponytail, going down past her knees, held in place by a large, blue flower patterned ribbon behind her head, like the one inscribed upon the bird's chest. Matching her ponytail, was a hair style that suspiciously resembled Sonoko's, even with similarly patterned hairloops leading back toward the ribbon. Besides the apprehensive and guarded mask upon her expression, even her facial features bore likeliness toward the current leader of the Heroes. The main part distinguishing her face, was that she possessed light purple eyes instead of gray, and had a small updo at the back of her hair, not unlike the kind Sumi possessed. The other characteristic of note, was her attire greatly resembled that of the Heroes, carrying a blue theme that matched her ribbon, with white and red highlights. The upper half consisted of bulky sleeves around her forearm that left exposed shoulders, before narrowing into lightly armored gauntlets over her hands. Past her upper body, the uniform paved way to black stockings on her legs and a coat similar to Gin's outfit, around her lower half.

Fate mentally raised an eyebrow at the visage of the girl, yet keeping his outer body language perfectly neutral. Not only did she resemble the current Hero Sonoko Nogi, but she also had an incredibly similar outfit as them. All this combined with her already supernatural presence… Whoever this was, they must have had deep ties toward this situation. Fate would need to carefully monitor this discussion and what they learned. Too much, and it would be difficult to keep Negi focused on the task at hand.

"You can.. see me…?" Cautiously, the spirit asked with a lower pitched feminine voice, utter disbelief in between her slow words. She seemed to be speaking to herself more than the mages even, still struggling to believe they could see her.

"We can hear you too." Negi casually answered, causing the spirit's eyes to widen. "I'm Negi Springfield, pleased to meet you." Continuing his casual friendly charm, Negi lightly bowed toward the other.

"Fate Averruncus." The other mage flatly stated.

Visibly, trying to restrain their shock at the situation, the spirit paused, leaving a near silence hanging on the air around them, broken only by the gentle breeze of the wind in the night sky. "… My name is Nogi Wakaba." Wakaba finally spoke, matching Negi's earlier gesture.

The name caused more than mild surprise to briefly flash on Negi's face, before it dropped into a contemplative one. "Nogi-san… You're related to Nogi Sonoko-san, aren't you? You look a lot like her and even have a Hero's uniform.."

Again, Wakaba paused for a moment, her face gradually shifting toward a more composed one as the shock of the situation slowly wore off. "I am." The girl spoke calmly, but carefully.

"Is that why you have an interest in the heroes? We've seen you around, watching them and us before."

Wakaba nodded. "I can't do much aside from watch the current generation of Heroes and hope for their success."

'Current Generation', Fate noted the phrasing. It wasn't surprising, given her own attire and relation to Sonoko, but confirmation she was a past Hero wasn't bad to have. Still… How many generations of Heroes had come before the current trio? He held some doubts she was part of a recent one. The current leader being part of a lineage of Heroes, should've likely been something they heard of if it was recent. The details of Sonoko's Hero status was a secret, but her mere existence wasn't one. What made her unique like this though? They hadn't sensed anything else quite like this, save one potential exception.

"Ah." Wakaba muttered eye's quickly widening. "That reminds me… Since you can hear me, I wanted to thank you for helping them where I couldn't." It was small, but the spirit's expression and demeanor relaxed a hair with the gratitude, perhaps even a tiny trace of a smile on her mouth. "I think another Hero might've been lost, had you not arrived when you did."

Another?

"We're happy to help, Nogi-san." Negi returned the smile. "Sorry if we surprised you earlier. There isn't much on this island like you, and when we noticed you watching one of the Heroes training sessions, we just wanted to make sure there wasn't any danger."

Wakaba shook her head firmly. "I don't have any ill intent for them, you have my word." She paused briefly. "But, now that I've answered your question, I'd like to ask one of my own."

"Go ahead. It's only natural we return the favor."

"How is it that you can see and hear me…?" The spirit asked, tilting her head, a touch of both confusion and curiosity within her features.

"Hrm?" Negi muttered as if the question was an obvious one. "I've always had strong magical senses. One of my students if a ghost too, so it'd be a problem if I couldn't interact with people like you. It actually was a bit of an issue when I was still learning and first started."

"Likewise." Fate echoed. "Perceiving and interacting with spirits isn't too high a level technique for a mage, but some are far harder to detect than others. It shouldn't come as a surprise, given what else you've seen we're capable of."

"I see..." Wakaba murmured, closing her eyes for a moment to think before they shot wide open once the full implications of the words hit her. "Wait, student…?" The girl continued, her normal guard breaking and letting visible confusion briefly overcome her face, looking at Negi like she had to of misheard what he said.

"I'm a teacher." Negi plainly answered like he was describing the weather. "Well… Was, I'm busy with some other projects now. Fate is, or was until we got stranded here, officially substituting for me."

Fate acknowledged the mention with a curt nod to Wakaba.

Wakaba's gaze slowly went back and forth between the two mages, face dropping toward a blank one, but beneath it all, Fate could detect… Was that pity? Sympathy? How odd…

"I imagine you two must have a lot resting on your shoulders, despite your ages." The girl let out a small sigh, closing her eyes with it and sounding melancholic in her observation.

"You could say that." Negi answered, undeterred. "However, someone needs to do it. I don't regret what I've chosen to get involved in."

Wakaba looked up toward the mage with an investigative eye, before a small smile appeared. Yet it wasn't entirely a happy one, it was a heavy smile, a mixture of conflicting emotions hinting toward many experiences by the one who wore it. "You're right, someone has to step up. And sometimes, no one else can or will." By now, her shoulders had relaxed, hands uncurled into a loose palm into of halfway toward a first, some of the earlier tension in her body had faded away as she slowly started easing up around the mages.

"We are, however, quite busy between everything. There's a few more questions we would like to ask you." Fate interjected. He preferred things a bit more straight to the point, and given the kind of concerns he and Negi held about the situation, the mage would've preferred to address them as quickly as possible. If Wakaba couldn't give them satisfactory answers, matters were going to become much more complicated.

"Very well… What did you want to ask then?" Wakaba responded, crossing her arms and raising a curious eyebrow.

"Firstly, do you know if the Shinju-sama is the one that called us here?" Negi began.

Wakaba shook her head once more. "I don't know the answer to that, sorry." The spirit paused for a moment before their expression fell into a frown. "The Taisha didn't answer your question, did they." Less of a question and more an observation, she continued.

"Unfortunately not." Negi answered with a sigh. "And I don't think we can communicate with the Shinju-sama, nor would I like to make our relationship any worse by trying."

"The Taisha have been anything but cooperative with us." Fate bluntly added. "And given they refuse to answer as simple a question as that one, we have little reason to trust they will give us the ones we seek with recent developments."

"Recent developments'…?" Wakaba slowly asked, her body slowly tensing up back to how it had been earlier in the meeting.

"And that brings us to our second question..." Negi let the words hang in the air for a second, his own features taking on a touch of seriousness beneath the usual cheerful mood. "We need to know if the current situation is stable for the foreseeable future or if the Shinju-sama's barrier is in any danger of collapsing in the near future"

The very second Negi's words left his mouth, there was a change in Wakaba's demeanor, her whole body stiffened, her fingers dug into the "clothes" of her uniform's sleeves, and any trances of friendliness in her face vanished, instead replaced by guarded caution and hesitation. "And why do you need to know that?"

"To be direct," Fate took a step forward, picking up where Negi had left off. "We know there is something far greater going on here than the official story given by the Taisha, far more than the lies even the Heroes are told. The Vertex aren't some simple virus, they are a construct. A construct created by _someone_ with a goal of destroying the Shinju." Given the reaction and other factors, this girl clearly knew _something._ Enough for Fate to probe for answers with their reasons for seeking them.

Wakaba's eyes were slowly growing in size while the other spoke. The girl attempted to keep a grip on her reaction toward what she was hearing, but Fate could see a trace of gradually rising unease peeking behind her attempts at a mask.

"Both of us have personally dealt with a conspiracy trying to hide the truth of a doomed and crumbling world. The world beyond this wall is no more, correct?"

Wakaba stood nearly still as a statue, starring at the two mages with an unblinking, unsettled gaze. But, her lack of words were plenty for Fate.

"We haven't ventured to the outside world." Fate added and he saw some of the tension visibly deflate from Wakaba. "We need to return to our own world as quickly as possible, as we've our own problems to resolve."

" _But,_ " Negi cut in abruptly, before dropping his tone to a more gentle one than Fate's. "We want to make sure that this world is still safe for the future. As Fate mentioned, we've dealt with a situation where the world was going to collapse in a brief time period from when we found out. If it's not going to last much longer, then we should act now while we can. However, if it will last, then there's no need to rush into trying to solve it and we can take our time making a plan when there are more resources available and we have a way home."

Listening to Negi, Wakaba's face slowly shifted from one of unease to surprise at how casual Negi sounded when fixing a potential world wide problem. It was a face Fate knew well, one he'd worn himself under similar circumstances even. Back when Mundus Magicus was in danger of collapsing and there was only one plan for 'saving' the inhabitants of the world at the cost of the planet itself, a plan that had been in the works for decades, almost a century even, almost everyone who heard about an alternative plan reacted with similar disbelief or even anger.

The spirit stayed quiet for a long time, minutes even, clearly mulling over how to answer and how much to tell the two mages, uncertainty and doubt making its way onto her features. But, Fate wasn't going to give her the chance to reveal everything if the world wasn't on the precipice of calamity. He _knew_ Negi well, and if the situation was a worst case scenario yet stable, the other would do everything they could to help and it'd be a distraction from getting home.

"You don't need to tell us everything." Fate spoke up with an edge. "We know whatever is at play here must be tremendous if it's being kept secret from the general public and occurred nearly 300 years ago-"

Wakaba briefly flinched at the mention of time.

"- and it's understandable if you don't wish to tell us the full story. We've just met and a secret like this can't be taken back. We merely need to know if this world's situation is stable. That's all I want from you now." Though not mentioning it to avoid putting Wakaba further on guard and view them in too negative a light, the fact she couldn't do anything to stop them if they took action was a given. He wouldn't be surprised if the concern of he and Negi taking action she didn't want, would give her further hesitation. The spirit seemed reasonably intelligent.

Once more, near silence overtook the air surrounding the three. The tension of the air was so thick, it practically drowned out the wind surrounding everyone.

Finally, Wakaba took a deep breath, before letting out a long exhale, her shoulders easing up by an almost unnoticeable amount. "… Yes. I don't think the Shinju-sama's barrier is in any danger of running out of energy soon." Slowly, the spirit answered.

"Do you know exactly how long it will last?" Negi followed up pensively, crossing his arms.

"I'm not entirely sure." Wakaba admitted, frowning. "I believe it should be at least another decade or two, though..."

Sighing with relief, it was Negi's turn to visible relax. "Good, that's plenty of time then. I was worried it'd be far less." This comment earned another raised eyebrow and disbelief laden face from Wakaba.

"Thank you for telling us, that's all we need to know for now." Fate added, though his usual tone didn't make it sound very thankful. Still, this was the kind of answer Fate had been hoping for. An answer like this would satisfy Negi and help them stay focused on the important task of finding a method to return home. Provided they didn't do anything that escalated the Vertex or situation toward that beyond the Heroes ability to handle, then there shouldn't be any concern about the world falling apart around them. Once that was solved and matters were attended to and stability returned home, _then_ larger scale considerations for this problem could happen.

Wakaba's expression was difficult to read, but it appeared to be some paradoxical mixture of doubt, yet optimism. "I see… I don't know what you plan to do, but if you're planning to help… Then, thank you." There was an honesty in Wakaba's words, even a vague sense of hope, perhaps the most she'd let her guard down so far.

"But, like Fate said. If the situation here is stable, then, we need to find a way home first. We need to get going and work on exactly that. Perhaps we can talk another time, Nogi-san." Negi stated with a grin.

"Eh?" Wakaba blinked.

"It sounds like you haven't had someone to talk with for a while if you were so surprised we could see you. I Imagine it must be pretty lonely." Negi answered with a sympathetic frown before his expression quickly brightened into the usual smile. "And if we're going to be here for a while, than might as well. Don't hesitate to visit us sometime."

The offer made the spirit pause for a few seconds, before letting out a small chuckle and a smile that nearly matched Negi's taking over her face. "It's been a very long time since I've had anyone to talk with… So, I'd like that."

Internally, Fate frowned. He'd have to be careful with something like this. Who knew how many potential landmines surrounded Wakaba. The sentiment was fine and if they could talk without running into any of his earlier concerns, so be it, it would be fine. But, the mage couldn't simply rest easy if many distractions arose while The Lifemaker was still unaccounted for in his world. She could ruin everything if left unchecked.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. I suppose we'll be going now. It's been nice meeting you, Nogi-san." Negi said with a wave. Wordlessly, Fate matched it.

"Likewise." Wakaba mirrored the gesture, already turning to leave toward her original destination. "I'll… See you later then." Pausing briefly in her words, like she had trouble believing she was actually using the phrase, Wakaba bid farewell.

"I'll take us back then, Negi-kun." Fate commented, already preparing another spell. Before the night was over, there was more matter to discuss about this meeting.

* * *

"I think that went well." Negi commented with a pleased smile, back in their barely furnished room. They'd decided to come back here in case the Taisha had tried contacting it while they were away or reached out, but almost unexpectedly, they hadn't. Likely still trying to decide how to manage the situation. Still, while Negi hadn't gotten as much as he would've liked out of Wakaba, she clearly knew **far** more than was brought up in their meeting, the answers had been good enough for the moment.

"Likewise." Fate replied, taking a sip of coffee he'd prepared almost instantly after they returned. "However, Negi-kun."

"What is it, Fate?" Negi asked curiously.

"I believe we should be cautious about mentioning too many details of this meeting, to the Taisha or the Heroes." Crossing his legs, Fate said.

Negi frowned at the suggestion. He didn't like keeping a bunch of secrets like this, but at the same time he understood the need for discretion on certain matters and to not be an open book. Sonoko especially was smart for her age, if her being chosen as the team leader and performance in battle was any indication. If she was the curious type like he was, especially concerning a past relative, there was going to be problems. "I understand that, Fate. And I understand that you're concerned about what we discussed earlier. I assure you, I'll be fine. I want to get back just as much as you do."

Fate took another sip, not breaking eye contact with Negi the entire time. "Very well."

"We still don't know if the Shinju-sama brought us here for certain or not, however." Negi continued with a sigh. "It might not do us too much good, perhaps it's not able to right now. I doubt the new type of attack and us arriving are unconnected and if it did bring us here, it seems like it was under desperate circumstances, but I would still like to know."

"Perhaps. But, the Taisha aren't too likely to reveal much to us without force or making the situation more complicated than it needs to be." Fate mused matter of factly.

"Maybe..." Negi murmured. An instant later, an idea struck him like the lightning he turned into. "Wait… Perhaps we could speak with Aki-san. She seems a bit different from the rest of them and we have a bit closer relationship with her, and she is the Heroes instructor. Maybe she might be able to tell us something."

Fate closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds, pondering the idea. "Possibly. I think we could question her soon. It's grown late and I would assume she is either sleeping or in the middle of discussing the current situation with the Taisha."

"Unfortunately." Negi admitted with a light frown. If she was asleep, he would rather not barge into her house unannounced, and if she was meeting with the Taisha, interrupting that would carry its own host of problems. They would have to save questioning her for another day. "I suppose we should get to work then. We've made good progress, but there's still much to go before we can return home." Continuing, the mage levitated a book of notes toward himself.

They had another long night ahead, but Negi held onto the though of checking on the Heroes later. He and Fate had left the girls in stable condition, but he always liked to be safe rather than sorry. Hopefully, they were doing just fine.

* * *

It was the morning after her team's recent battle with the Vertex, but once more, Sonoko had found herself in the hospital instead of at home. Though, she couldn't say it wasn't understandable. The Taisha had told her that, while they didn't expect her to need to stay longer than overnight, they still wanted to keep her for that duration as a safety measure in case there was anything hidden about the poison. Thankfully, as expected, the mages healing had been more than adequate and, aside from feeling a touch more rundown than was customary, Sonoko felt fine.

At least physically.

Resting in the hospital bed while discharge was getting finalized, Sonoko couldn't help feeling frustrated at herself, replaying the battle's end in her mind with a downcast expression. Just like the fight before this one, Sonoko had missed one of the Vertex and it resulted in a near fatal mistake, this time for herself rather than one of her teammates at least. Sure, the circumstances of the last attack were unprecedented and unique, so difficulties were expected, yet this was the _second battle in a row_ where someone on her team had almost died to something that, as the leader, she _should_ have seen. She had even promised herself to not let something like it occur again, but she couldn't even keep that…

"Hey, Sonoko!" The sound of Gin's ever confident voice, following by her form appearing behind her room's door, quickly caused Sonoko to perk up her features, both from seeing her friend and not wanting to worry them.

"Hey, Mino-san~." Sonoko returned the greeting with a casual wave and smile.

"We brought you something!" Gin continued with a light smirk, looking toward the room's entrance expectantly.

On cue, Sumi entered the room, a light smile on her face and holding a familiar, rectangular white and pink, stylized cat like pillow.

Sonoko's eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite pillow, feeling the smile on her face quickly growing. "You brought Sancho!" Eager, Sonoko reached toward Sumi and made a few grabbing motions in her general direction. She always felt like anything she slept in was missing without Sancho.

"Here you go, Sonocchi." Sumi warmly said, handing the excited girl her pillow, which was quickly pulled into a hug and earned a content hum from Sonoko.

"Sumi thought it'd be a good idea to pick it up before coming here. Who knew Sumi could be this sensitive when she wants to." Gin teased with a cheeky grin.

The comment quickly broke Sumi's composed smile, replacing with it with a red face that spun to face Gin. "I-it's not that surprising..." The girl weakly stammered in protest. "T-that's what friends do for each other, r-right?"

Sonoko couldn't help letting out a low giggle. Sumi could be socially awkward sometimes, but this side of her was cute. "Wasshi's sure got an unexpected soft side to her, huh~." The blonde happily said, giving her friend a few pats on the head, like she'd seen Gin normally do. Her friend didn't protest them, aside from a slightly embarrassed whine, but Sonoko could see her blush deepening from a light red, to a deeper crimson.

"I dunno about that. She's already pretty soft looking in a couple places..." Gin commented with a mischievous glint in her eyes and creeping closer to Sumi. Before her friend could respond, she gave a light poke toward Sumi's chest.

The girl let out a brief shriek at the touch, before quickly taking a few steps away from her grinning friend and defensively crossing their arms over her chest, an odd mixture of anger, red faced embarrassment, and surprise written all over her features. "G-Gin! That's n-not appropriate here!"

Gin's only response was a good natured chuckle, returning her demeanor back toward its normal casualness. "Yep, knew Sumi had an obvious soft side."

The mood was infectious and Sonoko soon found herself joining with subdued laughter.

Her expression now more frustrated than surprised, Sumi let out a small grumble toward Gin. "When we're done here, I'm making you sit in seiza for the next few hours."

Gin's features quickly turned from joking laughter, toward horror, mouth agape and the color slowing draining from her face. "W-wait a second, I was just joking Sumi!"

"Uh-oh, now Mino-san's the one in trouble~." Sonoko quickly jumped into the turned tables, shooting a playful smirk in Gin's direction.

With both of her friends against her, it was Gin's turn to admit defeat, letting out a sigh from her exaggerated look of despair. "Dammit, looks like this was one mountain that was too dangerous to climb..."

Crossing her arms with a slight huff while the redness slowly faded from her cheeks, Sumi turned toward the giggling Sonoko, her features starting to return back to normal. "A-anyway." Sumi started, taking a quick breath to compose herself. "How are you feeling, Sonocchi?"

"Just fiiiine~." Sonoko answered cheerily. "I'll be leaving shortly, actually. They just wanted to keep me for the night to be safe~."

A relieved sigh passed through Sumi's mouth. "Good… I'm glad to hear that. I thought Negi-san and Fate-san would take care of it without any issues, but I was worried until they showed up..."

"Hey, it wasn't a problem in the end. You did a real good job healing until they showed up, Sumi." Gin, bouncing back like nothing had happened, supportively commented, giving Sumi a pat on the back.

"Eh?" Sonoko tilted her head, slightly confused. "I don't really remember too much after Forestization ended… But you tried to heal me?"

"Um, well, I did..." Sumi admitted with a touch of shyness, tapping her fingers against her arms a few times. "I wasn't able to fix it myself… But I had to do something."

"You've gotten really good at healing." Gin praised. "Only had it for one fight, but it's already come in real handy and you'll just get better at it."

Sonoko nodded in agreement. "Thanks for that Wasshi~. You really helped me out in that fight~. That must've been pretty hard using magic that much. Sorry about not seeing that last Vertex and making you do that. Guess I should've paid more attention again..." The moment the words escaped Sonoko's mouth, she internally chided herself. The words had come out sounding heavier than she'd wanted, made even more obvious by her friend's expressions falling toward concern for her.

"Sonocchi, it's alright." Sumi said gently, taking a seat in the chair next to her hospital bed. "That's one reason I'm practicing healing magic, so something terrible doesn't happen again..."

Sonoko's expression fell into a heavy, bittersweet smile. She knew Sumi was right on that front and healing magic would probably be one of, if not the, most useful new ability, but at the same time, it couldn't shake off the dour feeling in her chest. "I know but..." Sonoko paused for a moment. She didn't usually talk about her problems too much, she never _had_ anyone she could truly talk to as a true friend till Sumi and Gin came into her life. Sonoko knew she could seem like a weird girl to people sometimes, which, alongside her family status and going through life a bit at her 'own pace', didn't create an easy time for making friends. With her parents also not around that much personally and no close friends till recently, the girl had gotten used to bottling up any problems, but that was so much harder when the issues concerned her own and friend's very lives.

"Aki-sensei, made me the leader of the team, so I need to stay on top of any surprises from the Vertex, but someone almost... died... the last two fights..." Finding her words again, Sonoko finally spoke, slowly letting her guard slip away and speaking with a downcast expression and hugging Sancho closely for comfort. She didn't need to just bottle everything away anymore though. She _had_ two close friends that meant the world to her. Sumi had opened up greatly to her and Gin, not long after they became Heroes, showing how much she trusted the two. The three of them were more than just a team working for a common goal, they were close friends Sonoko knew she could be honest with. They could work something out, even if something needed to change with leadership.

Gin took a seat on Sonoko's bed, opposite of Sumi, putting a comforting hand on Sonoko's own and offering a subdued, sympathetic smile toward her friend. "I was wondering if that was what was bothering you lately. No beating yourself up over that, alright? None of us saw it coming the first time, not just you. Nobody could've guessed they'd suddenly start acting _smart._ Not everything went perfect, but you've been doing great. I bet our fights would've gone a lot worse without your planning." Expression rising to a more lighthearted smile, Gin reassured, giving Sonoko's hand a small squeeze.

That was true… But, she still had to be better when a mistake had nearly cost a life in two successive battles, new circumstances or not. Those were the kind of things a leader must be ready for.

"Gin's right, Sonocchi." Sumi echoed, drawing the girl's attention before she could dwell on it further. "When you were chosen as the leader, I wasn't sure about the decision… But, I was wrong to be worried. Even Hidemasa Hori-dono, who was a successful leader in multiple battles, suffered a notable defeat and was forced to retreat in 1584, during the Komaki Campaign."

"Yeah, whatever Sumi said." Gin added with a grin, even if the exact reference went entirely over her head. "You're the one who came up with several plans, like against Aquarius and Capricorn, and we beat em cause of it. And the last fight too. You and Sumi took care of a whole bunch of the little ones and cleared a path for me to cut up the big guy. Back during training against those dragon things as well, you had a plan to win and it worked great."

"During some of those earlier fights, I tried to think of a plan..." Sumi trailed off, her voice lowering to an almost embarrassed whisper. "… But, I froze up, while you didn't. Aki-sensei was right picking you. It's good to always want to improve as a leader, but you've done better than either Gin or I could."

"So, like I said, no beating yourself up for thinking you're not good enough. We're a team and we're all working hard so nothing happens in the future." Gin followed up with a playful poke at Sonoko's cheek. "We'll all keep practicing till we can each beat an army of them!"

Sonoko couldn't help the growing smile on her face from her friends words, feeling her shoulders relax. It was nice to know her friends had this confidence in her and to get these concerns off her chest. Sumi was right, it wasn't wrong for her to want to be a better leader, but maybe she was being a bit too hard on herself. Gin and Sumi were also working pretty hard with their own practice, and between all their new possible powers, maybe they would be just fine even if mistakes happened. That last fight might've been the end of her without Sumi's quick healing before the mages showed up. These two really were better friends than she could've ever hoped to have. "Thanks, you two~."

"Good! No more feeling sad then." Gin said, giving a gentle rub to the top of Sonoko's head. The girl had a practiced touch with this, likely from having younger brothers, that always made the motions feel so relaxing to Sonoko. "So! With that out of the way, I think we should get out and do something. It hasn't even been summer break for 3 weeks and we haven't had much of a chance to do something for it. Maybe we could hit the beach or that waterpark again."

"That's not a bad idea~." Sonoko agreed with a quick nod, her expression taking on a hint of mischievous playfulness. Gin had left herself wide open! "Maybe we can invite Spring-san too. I bet Mino-san would look eyecatching in a swimsuit~."

Exactly as she'd been expecting, Gin's face quickly took on a deep blush. "H-hey, t-that's a bit much, i-isn't it?" The girl stammered. Sonoko was sure the girl wasn't far from steam visibly coming out of her ears. What a strong and exploitable reaction…

Sumi's eyes briefly grew with an odd realization at Sonoko's comments. "Actually… Sonocchi, you said you were going to be discharged shortly, right?"

"Mhm." Sonoko nodded again, Gin's flustered self to her other side.

"There was actually something I wanted to talk with them about..." Sumi continued, her features taking on a pensive sternness, something clearly troubling the girl.

"What's wrong, Sumi?" Gin asked, the previous teasing briefly forgotten upon seeing the quick shift in demeanor on her friend.

"I'm not sure..." Sumi murmured, looking a touch frustrated and worried. "But, it's important. I'll bring it up when we meet with them later."

Sonoko tilted her head, mind wandering toward various possibilities of what Sumi could've been referring to. Whatever it was though… The girl clearly had a lot on her mind, but it _seemed_ like she had managed to get over most of her initial reservations about Negi and Fate, so what was she worried about? "Hrm… Alright~. I didn't have anything planned for today, so we can go talk~."

"Thanks, Sonocchi." Sumi said.

"Buuuuut, we still have a little more waiting to do it looks like, so let's plan something~." Changing back to more cheerful topics, Sonoko suggested.

Soon after, the discussion quickly shifted toward making plans for the summer, but Sonoko couldn't help wondering just what Sumi had in mind to talk about later...


	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Hey everyone! Sorry about the long time between updates. My beta reader is unfortunately extremely busy and wasn't able to find time to do this chapter for a while, so I decided to go ahead and upload it as is, since by the time they said they'll be available, I'll have had this done for over two weeks. The heavy plot stuff going on was another reason I decided to upload the chapter now instead of leaving on a long cliff hanger for a while. Soon as my beta reader gets a chance to look at it, I'll be updating this with the fully edited version, which should probably be around the end of the month.

There shouldn't be too much more than minor stuff that's slipped by here and there or things that completely detract from the experience, but sorry in advance if anything got through the cracks. Either way, hope you enjoy the story resuming updates. Chapter 16 is also about finished and should likely be up within around 2 weeks. I said I was serious about getting updates out!

 **7/11/2019 EDIT:**

My old beta reader, unfortunately, became too busy to continue doing this story. Hence the long delay on putting the revised chapter and chapter 16 up. However, I have managed to find a new one and do regular progress should resume soon. Chapter 15's final version is going up with this update, while 16 will be up in a few days.

* * *

The Taisha were in an uproar.

In addition to a style of attack not seen for almost 300 years, the behavior displayed by the Vertex, given the reason they were created, raised some _deeply_ concerning implications about the nature of the two mages. Not only that, the two were certainly no ordinary children and easy to deceive. They already had a shaky relationship with Shikoku's leading branch, and after last night, there was no doubt they would have concerns about what was truly going on in the world. For the first time in a while, far moreso than when the mages had even first arrived, the Taisha were unsure of how to even _begin_ addressing the problem. Nothing in their power could restrain the mages if they attempted to go outside the barrier and the duo had already vacated the premise when the Heroes were retrieved, what if they had already tried to find answers themselves? The most terrifying prospect of all, was the chance of them drawing the wrong attention. Was the careful house of cards the Taisha had constructed about to collapse? Children though they were, the pair were obviously intelligent beyond what their ages suggested, so surely they would understand the need for discretion and could be reasoned with if they found out the truth, right?

All these questions and more spun through Masuzu's mind like a tornado. She hadn't slept the whole night, having been busy meeting with the Taisha and debating on what to do with the current matter. Being she was the Heroes combat teacher and had the most interaction with the mages, it brought her into discussion she might not have normally been given a seat for. However, with the organization still trying to make plans on what to do, and some matters above her level of authority even with the circumstances, she had been sent away for a break, having returned homed for what little rest she could get for the moment. However, all these concerns made it difficult to _have_ any calm, leaving her doing little more than eating some decent food at her house. Too many hours since a proper meal.

The sounds of a few knocks at her front door made the woman pause. Did the Taisha decide on a plan already? They were old fashioned and likely to send someone in person for a serious matter like this to summon her, but this had been oddly quick. But, who else was going to come visit her at this time?

Standing up from her meal, Masuzu made her way across the dining area, past her living room, and over to her front door. Expecting to be greeted by her fellow members, the woman opened the front door to a sight that was certainly _not_ the Taisha, but something that immediately made her freeze.

Both mages were standing on her front porch.

"Good morning!" Speaking with a casual friendliness that only made Masuzu more cautious, Negi greeted with a matching smile. "Are you busy? If you have some time, Fate and I were hoping we could have a chance to talk."

Contrasting his companion's warm introduction, Fate stood a few paces behind, neutrally staring at Masuzu. It was impossible to get even a slight clue on what either were thinking.

The woman paused for a moment, unsure. Negi was showing the same kind demeanor she had usually seen from the child, but the circumstances meant this had to of been far from a simple house visit to say hello. The idea of letting something even the _Vertex_ had initially ignored and could pave mountains flat with a gesture, into her home, wasn't exactly an appealing one. But… Maybe this would be a chance to get answers to the burning questions the Taisha had. There wasn't much of a choice, if there was any chance to get the situation under control, it had to be taken.

"… Come in." Masuzu said after considering her options for a few seconds, stepping aside from her door and leaving the walkway open. Though, her voice didn't share the welcoming demeanor Negi's did. It was guarded, cautious. With the fate of everything the Taisha had worked for within almost 300 years possibly hanging on a thread depending on what the two said at this meeting, she couldn't be anything but concerned and straight to the point.

"Thank you." Same mood as before, Negi responded, entering the dwelling, followed closely behind by Fate Fate, both mages watched closely by the teacher.

Her home wasn't anything too extravagant, upper end of middle class at best. The front doorway opening up into a large living room, with a table in the centered resting before a TV, several chairs surrounding the furniture. Aside from the furnishings in the center and a few more minor ones around, like another desk with a few chairs, the area was mostly bare. Masuzu preferred a more practical house over one lavishly decorated in excess, not that she had anyone over often anyway. Though, there were still a few notable decorations in her house, namely the three well cared for flowers in her bedroom. But, those were thoughts for another time.

"Is it alright if we sit here?" Stopping over by the table, Negi asked politely, to which Masuzu gave a small nod. Thanking her once more, Negi took a seat. "Sorry to bother you suddenly like this. How have you been doing?"

"What did you come here to discuss?" Levelly, Masuzu responded, brushing off the attempts at small talk, slowly moving over to join the pair. The child was _likely_ simply being polite, but the woman wasn't interested in indulging it with what the situation was.

Negi's cheerful smile lowered a hair from the dismissal. "Straight to business then? Alright, that's understandable." While still maintaining a good level of friendliness, not like the cold and guarded tone Masusu was using herself, the child's voice took on a heavier weight to it that was lacking moments ago. "Let's start with what I'm sure is the most pressing concern." The mage paused for a moment, letting the Taisha priestess take a seat opposite of him and Fate. "We have not gone outside of the Shinju-sama's barrier, yet."

Masuzu felt the tiniest trace of tension leaving her shoulders at the confirmation the Taisha's biggest fears were unfounded. Though the _'yet'_ part did not go unnoticed to her. But, there was still a chance the situation could be controlled, just maybe.

"However," Negi continued, a slight edge to their words. "We know that the story about a 'virus' being the cause of what destroyed the outside world, is a lie. The Vertex are much more than any kind of virus. They were made by someone or something with a clear objective to destroy the Shinju-sama, correct?"

Masuzu kept her face perfectly composed, despite her internal storm of worry. The conclusion about the virus story might not have been a reach if the Vertex ignored them, but also knowing someone created them? Perhaps it was their magical background. Thankfully, it didn't seem they knew the exact reason why the Vertex were sent, that was good. But, if they were fishing for a confirmation from her, as how would they have possibly confirmed it, maybe this could be spun someway to dissuade them away from this line of thought…

"If this is about the Vertex igno-"

"Don't even try it." Fate abruptly interjected, an undercut of hostility briefly flaring in his words, before returning back to his normal tone. "We already _know_ these facts. We did not come here to have you attempt more useless lies to maintain your conspiracy. You are not the first organization we've dealt with that tried to keep secrets about the world's fate."

"… Then, why did you come here?"

"Well, having further confirmation is never a bad thing, but we came to you, hoping we might be able to answer a question we're not sure about." Negi began. "One of the possibilities we thought of that brought us here, was the Shinju-sama summoning us. We tried to asking the Taisha about it, but every time we tried to get answers, they would always try to brush us off or saying it was being 'investigated', not too much different from when we discussed the possibility of going outside the barrier. I'm going to assume that's also a lie and that the organization has known the answer from the beginning, especially given the Taisha are the religious arm of the Shinju-sama in Shikoku's management. And secondly, an apparently unprecedented attack happened in the very next battle after we were called. I doubt the timing on that is coincidence." Negi continued, speaking in a gentle tone, but matter of fact in all his observations.

Masuzu kept her composure, despite the worries this line of questioning brought up. The Shinju _had_ summoned them, but she couldn't simply tell them that. The Taisha had made it clear to _not_ tell the two such a fact if it could be helped. The Shinju had spent a lot of energy calling them here and certainly wasn't in any condition to send them back, but what if they tried to force the matter to get home faster? They had still helped against the Vertex and she knew it couldn't be a deception by their enemy if the Shinju summoned them, but her personal feelings didn't matter. She didn't always agree with everything the Taisha did, the decision to try and gain more leverage by depriving the mages of any supplies initially had been difficult to comes to terms with, they were still _children,_ at least supposedly, but when they made a decision, that was the final say on the matter.

"I understand the Taisha might be worried about us using force to get what we want, but I promise you, if the Shinju-sama isn't in any state to send us back, we won't force them to. They're what's maintaining the barrier around this island, and if sending us back would endanger Shikoku's safety, then we'll find another way. You can trust us, Aki-san. We've been trying to help how we can, be it teaching the Heroes some magic or fighting against the Vertex. I know the Taisha and us don't exactly have the smoothest relationship, but we still want to help." Expression softening into a sincere smile, Negi continued calmly.

The boy seemed sincere in his words, they had an almost childlike optimism she saw sometimes in her own students, someone like Gin especially, but that didn't matter. She lacked the authority to tell them, even if she _wanted_ to.

"Perhaps you should consider this in a more pragmatic way. The Taisha must be a mess, trying to decide how to handle this situation." Fate interjected, placing one of his hands on the table and leaning toward Masuzu. "We know the situation is far bigger in scope than the public story lets on and your organization keeps secrets about the world, keeping the truth even from those who are the only defense between it and destruction when the Vertex come."

The other mage spoke with a disdainful edge to their words in the second half of their comments, an edge that sent a pang of guilt through Masuzu. She didn't like forcing children to take up such a heavy responsibility, the weight of which had become frighteningly clear when it nearly claimed Gin _and_ Sonoko's lives, without being told about it… But there wasn't any other choice. Nobody else could fight against the Vertex, and maybe when they were older it would be easier to handle the truth, but to learn the full extent of what they were fighting against? That was more than one could ask any normal child, not even teenagers yet, to shoulder if it could be helped.

"However, we also have our disasters back in our world to deal with. Whatever your problems are, we cannot afford to get involved with a prolonged battle when we don't even have a way home. So, if we get the answers we need, then we're content to let the rest of your secrets stay hidden for now. The Taisha can still believe they hold leverage in this arrangement and, provided nothing changes which puts this island in danger of immediate destruction, don't need to worry about any of their secrets being exposed. We can both get what we want."

By now, she was starter to feel more like the prisoner in the interrogation room, rather than the one asking the questions… Regardless, Negi was sincere in wanting to help and Fate also had a point in his argument, but there was still one burning question that was stirring in her mind from all of this.

"Why did you come to me then? Why not someone higher up in the Taisha?" Curious, she asked. Yes, she was in an upper level position within the organization, but there were still people at the top levels above her. If they were going to simply _appear_ like this, surely it made more sense to go to them? They would've already met some of them during the various meetings that had happened since the pair arrived.

"Well, there's a few reasons for that." Negi started with a warm voice. "Most of the top level members we've talked with, have been rather… Detached? They're very cold and not easy to try and compromise with. But, while we haven't talked personally all that much, I thought you would be an easier person to talk with and get help from. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to tell us more cover stories."

Masuzu squinted her eyes, perplexed. "Then, why do you think I would be any different?"

"You're the Heroes combat instructor, but also their school teacher, right?" Undeterred, Negi asked without missing a beat.

She slowly nodded.

"I was a teacher myself too, 31 students. And all of them are important to me, much more than just people to take care of because it was my job." The mage continued, a nostalgic look in his eyes while the paused briefly, enjoying the memories brought up by the discussion.

That was right, she had heard the mage was apparently a _teacher_ , having become one at age nine. Masuzu had initially not given it much thought, but between everything, even an absurd idea like that seemed believable. Especially given the much heavier burdens even her own students had.

"And many of them also got into a lot of dangerous situations, sometimes ones where I couldn't do anything to help and had no idea if they were okay or not." Expression falling into a frown, Negi spoke. "And, all three of those girls seem important to you, so I'm sure that's a feeling you can understand."

The woman couldn't help a pang of sympathy for the child. The sentiment was something she indeed knew well. An attack was always over in an instant from her perspective, but she couldn't help worrying for the girls safety at times, especially after the attack which nearly took Gin's life. The most recent one had left her similarly on edge until everyone was confirmed alive. Those had been the longest minutes of her life. "Yes, I understand the feeling."

Negi nodded with an approving smile. "Then, I think you can understand one of the reasons why we want to get home so badly. As Fate said, we have our own problems and enemies to deal with, and no way to know if everyone is alright until we get back. So, if the Shinju-sama did summon us here and there's anyway it can help us get back, then we would like to know if there's any way it could help us get back. If we're going to be helping how we are, then don't we deserve to at least know that? But, if it can't for whatever reason, then it's good to rule that out, so we can focus on other plans we have in the works."

The Taisha priestess paused, mulling the words over in her head. So, that was their reason then. It was hard not for her to sympathize with the mage's goal, if she were somehow in a situation where she had no way to know how Sumi, Sonoko, and Gin were doing, then she would want to try every option available to confirm they were okay. But… Even then, no matter how much she understood the feelings, orders were orders. Yet, unlike when she usually tried set aside her emotions, this was one of those times where she just couldn't do it so easily. They also had a strong point that, were they helping this much, the mages had a right to not be kept entirely in the dark, the thought making another bitter pang strike her heart at how the Heroes were being told to put their lives on the line for a cause they were not told the truth of. At the same time though, it wasn't just Masuzu's emotions tugging at her, but also her practical side. The Taisha had no idea how to solve the current problem, and if what the mages said was true, then it would solve that issue and give them peace of mind everything wasn't going to collapse. Given everything so far, she felt like the mages were being sincere in their promise. Really, the woman had no reason _not_ to tell them then, other than simply because she was ordered.

Finally, Masuzu reached a decision, taking a small sigh before speaking. "Alright." Just this once, she'd have to disobey the Taisha's orders. They likely weren't going to be happy with that, but having a solution to their current troubles was going to make up for it. "If I tell you, then you both promise to not press the issue further, go beyond the Shinju-sama's barrier, or tell anyone else about what you've discovered outside the Taisha? Including the Heroes."

"One question, before that." Surprisingly, Fate quickly spoke up before Negi could, leaning his head against a closed fist, his gaze piercing. "I wish to know your reasons for not wanting to continue lying to the Heroes. I expect it to be deeper than simply maintaining the Taisha's story."

Now, the topic had shifted to a much more personal line of questioning for Masuzu. While maintaining the Taisha's story was certainly the main reason for it, if she was honest with herself, then there were more reasons for maintaining the deception on top of it. She didn't discuss deeply personal matters often, but Negi had shared something personal and if this got them to agree to the conditions, so be it.

"… You're right. None of them are even teenagers yet, and they were chosen for this duty well in advance, something they were selected for due to their Hero potential, not something they chose. But, there was no one else who could do it." Masuzu began, briefly flashing back to when they had first been introduced to the trio. She hadn't _expected_ to grow so attached to them, but it had been impossible not to, as she was soft at heart. "And knowing the full extent of the situation and what they're fighting against, it's far more weight than someone as young as them should bear. They should be allowed to live and enjoy what they can as children, despite their duty. You said this wasn't your first time dealing with a situation like this, so I imagine you can also understand learning something that changed how you viewed the world forever."

Negi gave a small, knowing nod at her statement, while Fate continued to stare at her, his expression lightening to an emotion she wasn't entire sure about, it might've _almost_ looked like a subdued smile even, but it was the first time in this discussion the mage seemed to look something other than disinterested or annoyed.

"I see..." Raising their posture back to a more neutral position, the child's words were oddly less hostile or dismissive than usual as well. "In that case, I agree to your terms."

"Provided there is no immediate danger of Shikoku being destroyed that comes up, then I promise as well." Echoing the sentiment, Negi nodded.

"Then, with that out of the way..." Masuzu cleared her throat once with the topic change. "Yes, the Shinju-sama is what summoned you here. Unfortunately, no, it can't bring you back. That would expend too much energy to be safe, bringing you here was already taxing. I'm not sure if it could be of any assistance getting home either. I'm sorry." The woman frowned sympathetically toward the pair as she finished.

Negi sighed at the news in disappointment, before their features returned to a more subdued optimism. "That's what I was worried about. If just bringing us here weakened the barrier enough to allow that many Vertex in, then I suppose sending us back would be too much. Still, I appreciate you telling us this, thank you. Are further attacks like that something to expect? We can alter the Heroes training a bit to deal with many enemies if so."

Masuzu shook her head. "I'm not certain. I don't think future attacks will be as intense, the Shinju-sama intentionally weakens parts of the barrier at times to conserve energy and Vertex come through, and they did this moreso than usual with the last attack because of calling you here. We have some ways to replenish the Shinju-sama's energy to a degree, but while future attacks might be more difficult than before, I don't think something that severe will happen again. But, that's good to know you can help them train for it just in case. That's something we can do at the upcoming training session."

"Well, that's relieving to hear then." Smiling, the child answered. "Is there anything else to discuss then?"

An awkward silence fell over the table, the two mages looking at Masuzu expectantly. She knew what they were expecting her to ask, questions about why the Vertex could have ignored them in the last battle. However, she already had several ideas for why such an event happened, given what the Vertex were created for. The Taisha were also worried about the implications as well. They had already agreed not to press the matter further, but even despite that, she worried about possibly giving them too much, given how much they had managed to deduce so far from what seemed like very limited information. However, maybe she could make them feed any potential answers, see if the problem could be confirmed beyond any shadow of a doubt. She would have rather been wrong in her assumption.

"Yes, there is one thing I wanted to ask." She paused. "Do you have any idea why the Vertex initially ignored you?"

Both mages briefly shared a glance, before returning their gazes back toward her. "No, we're not too sure. The only thing I can think of is they were created with specifics in mind for what's considered an enemy, and for whatever reason, Fate and I didn't fall under that until we attacked them first. There's constructs that can be made like that with magic in our world."

"I see..." Masuzu lowly murmured. It wasn't a direct confirmation, but it seemed like a strong indication the Taisha's concerns were right. That was… Deeply troubling if so, but at the same time, maybe there was a way this could one day be exploited, and if they continued to help, then perhaps it wouldn't be as big a concern. "Then, there's nothing more I have to discuss."

"Then, I guess we'll be leaving." Rising from his chair, Negi said. "I imagine you'll have a lot to discuss and report on to the Taisha, so we won't bother you any further." Giving a small bow, Negi finished, accompanied by Fate barely raising his hand in a parting wave.

"Yes… I do." Letting out a sigh, Masuzu commented, standing up from her own chair. She'd barely slept already and stayed awake through the night, yet it seemed like the day had only just begun with everything that was on her to-do list now. "Goodbye then, to both of you. I'll see you soon at the next training session."

"Goodbye, Aki-san. It was good speaking to you. Contact us if you need anything else." Followed by Fate, the woman watched both mages exit her front door, leaving her alone once again in the room.

It was time for another long day…

* * *

Lowering her bow, Sumi let out a tired sigh. For whatever reason, the Taisha had hurriedly organized a training session for the girls. It was highly unusual, they typically knew in advance when there was training and generally got some time to rest following an attack, but not today. Even their teacher, who normally seemed perfectly composed, had a few cracks that indicated she seemed a little more tired than normal, not that Sumi said anything of it.

Not only had the training been on such short notice, it'd also involved a slightly new type of it at the fake Jukai Fate made. The mages had summoned constructs once again, but this time they were far smaller and more numerous, not unlike what they experienced last battle. It was good experience and their presence did at least mean the burning questions Sumi wanted to ask them, wouldn't have to wait long. However, it could wait a few minutes to check on her friends, particularly Sonoko.

"Sonocchi?" Sumi asked, concern seeping into her words while she approached her slouching friend. "Are you doing alright?" The girl had been through an exhausting amount in the last day, and even though she'd gotten a clean bill of health and discharged from the hospital, it was still worrying.

Sonoko turned her head toward her friend, flashing a wear smile. "Just a little tired from everything, thanks for the concern Wasshi~."

"Here, let me see if I can help a bit..." Sumi said, summoning up a little healing magic for the minor injuries Sonoko had sustained during battle. The mages were going to be here any moment likely, but Sumi felt confident enough in her healing skills to take care of something basic, like some small cuts or bruises, perfectly in her transformed state. It was good if she got used to taking care of these problems anyway, it was going to be _expected_ of her once the mages were gone.

"Oh, I see Washio-san has already started taking care of any injuries. Good job." Negi's approving voice sounded off as the mage gently landed beside the Heroes.

"Where's Aki-sensei?" Briefly looking up from her healing, Sumi questioned. Seeing their teacher had remained outside the combat area.

"She's busy dealing with reports, apparently, and will have a longer assessment of how you did later, but she told me to say 'you did well' for now." Negi answered, briefly glancing back toward the instructor. Given everything, Sumi couldn't help but wonder if the Taisha had even surprised _her_ with this last minute training. It was certainly odd.

"That said, how are you all holding up?" Negi asked, glancing over the three Heroes. "I hope the sudden training wasn't too difficult. We were also a bit surprised at how last minute it was."

"I'm doing fine." Gin said with a confident smile. "Been working a bit on that body reinforcement magic, it's awesome how I don't feel as tired anymore."

Sumi couldn't tell if it was really the magic helping Gin or simply the fact she came out with the lightest injuries in the last two fights making such a claim easier to say. The girl was always the strongest in raw power by far, something that interestingly seemed to translate into how quickly she picked up magic that didn't require too much thought or long _western_ styled chants.

"All our regular training and then the magic stuff at home sure keeps a person busy though." Continuing with her joking tone, Gin 'whined' sarcastically.

"Hrm..." Sonoko hummed thoughtfully while Sumi focused on her injuries, a dangerously familiar glint in her eyes. "Mino-san's been too busy to do any of their summer homework, haven't they?"

All the blood drained from Gin's face as her tanned skin started turning pale. "H-hey, why did you have to bring up that? There's still time..."

"Less than 3 weeks isn't a lot of time, Gin." Sumi disapprovingly stated on near reflex, looking at Gin with exasperation. She was done with Sonoko's injuries and had started moving onto her own, planning to speak with the mages about what happened during the battle once finished, but she couldn't help the critical comment escape her mouth.

Gin's shoulders slumped in defeat, the girl letting out a sigh. "Dammit… Has it really been that long already? I was having so much fun with magic, I forgot..."

"Ah, I imagine you three must be busy balancing everything. Your studies are still important and I _was_ a teacher, so if you're having any trouble, maybe I can help you with your school work." Negi suggested.

"Oh, that's a good idea. Mino-san's not the best at school work, so some _personal_ tutoring might be good for her~." Sonoko added, a large, mischievous even, smile on her face while putting extra stress on the _personal_ part.

"H-huh? Wait a second, you don't need to do that..."

"Wait." Sumi quickly interjected, before the conversation could further derail. She knew what to expect from something like this, and if it snowballed, it would be harder to address what she wanted. There was no way she could possibly wait till another meeting with the pair, and with already being transformed, she felt some extra safety bringing the topic up. "There was something I wanted to ask you two..."

"Hm?" Negi tilted his head, expression growing curious, detecting the more serious tone Sumi's words had taken on. "What did you want to ask, Washio-san?"

Sumi took a quick breath to gather her thoughts, everyone's curious eyes on her. She had thought a few times on how to bring this topic up since they returned from battle, but it was much different to actually discuss it than go over any possibilities in her head. "During… The last battle with the Vertex, I saw something happen when the Vertex first approached you, something that doesn't make any sense to me."

With every word she spoke, the atmosphere grew tenser. Immediately, she saw Negi and Fate's features take on a heavier tint, while her friend's faces grew in curiosity and confusion instead, perhaps even a little worry.

"The Vertex didn't attack you, until you attacked them first."

"Huh!?" Gin said with shock, blinking a few times as if she had to of misheard Sumi. "Are you sure about that Sumi?"

Negi sighed, crossing his arms. "So, you saw that then?" The child spoke, drawing both Sonoko and Gin's surprised expressions from Sumi, toward him. "Sorry, we're about as confused as you are as to the exact reason they might have done that."

"But there has to be some reason why they did that..." Sumi pensively responded. The Vertex had _never_ responded in such a way before, they always seemed to attack on sight if they weren't trying to slip past the Heroes to attack the Shinju. But what was it? What could it possibly be? Every time she thought on the problem, a burning question rose within her, a question she didn't know how or why she felt the desire, _compulsion_ even, to ask, but also carried a similarly odd feeling she got the day before the field trip the mages had arrived and before the last attack. The question was insane and sounded like a ridiculous possibility, but some part of her couldn't brush it away, the drive to ask it growing with each moment she let it stew in her mind.

"Are.." Sumi slowly started, hesitating for just a moment, the question on the tip of her tongue.

"Are you two even human?"

A chill gripped the air, freezing everyone around Sumi while they considered the sheer absurdity of the words she asked.

"What kind of a question is that…?" Gin asked, some confused concern seeping into their voice. "Of course they're human, look at them." The red Hero gestured toward the two mages, her expression rising briefly, before dropping to an unsure one when the pair didn't answer for a second.

Instead of any reaction, both mages briefly focused their attention on each other, Sumi would've bet they were talking telepathically again. The silence was worrying her, she must have struck _something_ close to the mark if they were pausing even for a few moments like this. But, could the question she couldn't explain her reason for asking, actually be true? They looked like two normal boys roughly the same age as her group, 11-12 years old, and magic could do many amazing things, but were they really not human? And if so… What did it mean if the Vertex ignored them because of it?

After what felt like a long pause to Sumi, but must have only been a second or two, the pair finally refocused their attention back toward the Heroes. "Well… The truth of the matter is, no, neither of us are human." Negi stated.

Sumi felt her back stiffen up and hands tense up into near fists, both her friends going wide eyed alongside herself. She felt some of her confidence falter, unsure of what question to ask next. She hadn't _actually_ expect the question to be true. If they weren't human, then.. What in the world were they if they looked like them?

"… What do you mean that you're not human?" Sonoko was the first one to speak up, her voice taking on a rarer sterner tone that happened when she got in a more serious mood, even if it didn't have the same graveness as Sumi's

"Well, I actually used to be human." Negi started, his voice oddly casual and calm despite the revelation. "But something happened several months back and I'm not anymore."

This just raised more questions for Sumi. He _used_ to be human? What could have possibly changed him? "Then… What are you? How did you… Stop being a human?" The girl asked. She knew many supernatural legends and the existence of the Shinju meant they were more than legends, but she didn't think there was a chance she might _actually_ meet something like that. Although, it wasn't like a lot she never expected hadn't already happened.

"Hrm… That's a good question." Negi paused, tapping his cheek with a finger and looking upwards. "It was a specific type of magic, nothing you're being taught, don't worry, but as for what I am..."

Magic? _She knew this couldn't be trusted!_ This western magic was going to turn them all into inhuman mons-

"It was made by a vampire..."

Wait, what?

"But using it was like being a demon at times..."

 _What?_

"But even before she made it, it was apparently similar to a deity's power that's neither of those, I think..."

 _ **What?**_

"So... I'm not really sure what that makes me, actually, sorry." Chuckling lightly, Negi bluntly stated, rubbing the back of his head. "I just know I'm something immortal and not human anymore."

"H-how do you not know what you _are?"_ Sumi stuttered, her attempts at more serious composure shattered by how weirdly _casual_ Negi was acting about this whole thing. He wasn't human anymore! Some magic that sounded dark and terrible had turned them into… _Something._ That was not a good thing! But… He barely sounded bothered by it. She knew something wasn't right with this kid…

"Well, my circumstances, as far as I know, are entirely unprecedented, so I'm not sure if I can fall under any existing species." As relaxed as ever, Negi spoke. "But, I don't think that matters too much."

"Eh?"

"Well… Human or not, I'm still me, aren't I?" The child continued, their tone shifting toward a slightly more mature one. "I still act the same as I always did. Even if I'm physically different, I don't think it matters, as long as I'm still myself."

"Huh..." Gin was the first one to speak up, drawing the girl out of her thoughts. Her words had a casualness to them similar to Negi's. "Well, it sounds crazy, but when you put it like that, then I guess it makes sense. As long as you're still the same person at heart, that's what's important. You're still my friend, human or not."

"I agree with Mino-san~." Sonoko echoed, her voice rising to a more casual tone as well. "I don't think I'd want to go through something like that, but as long as you don't change who you are, it doesn't matter too much what you are, huh."

Sumi felt everyone's expectant gazes fall upon her, making her shift uncomfortably. She wasn't too sure how to process the words. Negi was looking at this _incredibly_ casually, it was almost a bit disturbing how they didn't seem bothered by a loss of humanity. But… At the same time, she had some trouble finding fault in the words. As long as one acted the same, then they were technically still the same person, weren't they? Even despite that, she still had trouble wrapping her head around how _not_ bothered someone, a kid even, could be about this. Still, he had been so helpful to them all this time, saved Gin's life, taught them new tools to help prevent further tragedy, and seemed like a generally nice person, even despite her reservations about his origin.

"I… Guess you're right then." Sumi admitted. She couldn't say she was _completely_ comfortable with the idea like Gin and Negi seemed to be, and she certainly shared Sonoko's sentiment about not wanting to have that happened herself, but could accept this if he continued acting in a human manner. This had not _at all_ been how she expected the discussion to go.

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Sorry, I understand that must have been rather shocking to learn. It was for some other people I know as well, but I've long since come to terms with it and knew what I was getting into." Smiling with his usual warmth, Negi replied cheerfully.

"However." Sumi abruptly cut in, her face falling into a grimace, words falling deathly serious. "How do we know this magic isn't going to turn _us_ not human?"

Gin let out an exasperated groan

"Oh, don't worry about that." Negi dismissed with a wave of his hand. "What happened to me was a very special type of magic. "I'm one of only two people in the world, that I know of at least, who uses it. Once again, what you're learning is perfectly safe and normal, I promise."

Sumi frowned, skeptical. He had been honest with them up till now whenever they asked, so she supposed he was trustable, but it still seemed like every time she made strides in begrudgingly accepting using this foreign magic, the universe seemed determined to reveal something that made her second guess it again…

"What about Fate-san?" Gin asked curiously, changing their attention toward the second mage expectantly.

"I assure you, my story is far less interesting than Negi-kun's." Dismissively, Fate started. "Unlike him, I never was human in the first place.

"Soooooo, what are you then~?"

Fate paused for a second, stonefaced as ever. "Magic can be used to create various constructs, similar to what you have been fighting against during practice here, some are much higher level than others however."

"You're saying someone… _Created_ you?" Sumi questioned, tilting her head. Though abrasive and quite unchildlike he could be, Fate still seemed so incredibly _human._ She had already seen magic could do many wonderful things, but to create a _person?_ To create life? Especially one this freakishly strong? That was both awe inspiring and concerning.

Fate nodded. "Correct. But, I've long since grown past what I was originally made for."

"Woah… Magic can sure do a lot." Gin murmured with a wonder filled voice. "Who uh, made you then?" Curious, yet a touch awkward, the girl continued.

"That, is a personal matter I don't wish to discuss." Fate bluntly rejected the question. "In the interest of some transparency and a show of trust, I answered your question about my nature, but that does not mean I intend to share my life story. Besides, your instructor can't be kept waiting forever." Shifting focus, the mage gestured some hundreds of meters back, where their teacher was waiting.

Sumi knew they had a good point, even if it was more an excuse to change the subject. Perhaps she hadn't brought this up at the best of times, but she _had_ to get her question answered and she did, even if it didn't at all go the way she had expected. And there was still so many further questions which had been raised by this. What kind of magic did an _11 year old_ dabble in that turned them into something non-human? Especially with the kind of description given to it, those made her shudder a bit to think about. And how did something like Fate get _created?_ What did it all imply about the Vertex? Many worrying questions, but at the very least, it seemed like she could still trust the two mages for now, human or not.

"I wish we could talk more, I'd be happy to answer some questions, but Fate is right. Given how things have been today, we'll be sending you all home from here so you can get some rest and she'll send you comments on today's training later. Is everyone ready to go?" Negi asked, looking over the three Heroes.

Each of them briefly exchanged a look, before undoing their transformations and giving a collective affirmation.

"Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk more, especially about getting you any help with your summer work, Minowa-san." Negi began, while Fate prepared a spell to send everyone back. "We can work something out later, perhaps I can come by your house sometime. We have a lot of our own experiments to catch up on. Until next time."

Before anyone could respond to the comment, white overtook everyone's vision, but not before Sumi swore she saw a satisfied look on Sonoko's face. She was going to get a long lecture for this.


	16. Chapter 16

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Hello everyone. I apologize for the delay after I promised some more regular updates. The reason for that, as I edited in last chapter, is my old beta reader, unfortunately, became too busy to continue doing this story. Hence the long delay on putting the revised chapter and chapter 16 up. Though it took a little time to sort it all, I have managed to find a new one and regular progress should resume. Chapter 15's final version has also gone up here.

* * *

"… So, what is it exactly you were just attempting?" Standing in the same clearing the mages had been using for most of their tests, Wakaba asked with a furrowed brow.

"Now that we're done, I can explain." Negi began, turning his head slightly to put Wakaba within his vision. True to his word about talking with Wakaba more, the mage had invited her along to talk during demonstrations like this. "Considering we're dealing with different universes and very different timelines, Fate and I need to make sure we get back to _ours_. I've had some experience with using something to go back in time, but even going back just a week nearly broke it, and since we might need to go across universe and timelines, we have to be absolutely certain here." The child explained, speaking in his teaching voice. "So, we're sending something that'll record a bit of the surrounding and then come back to us, letting us know if we've sent it to the right place or not. Assuming that works, then we can see about going ourselves. It took some time to get enough magic together and infusing enough into it for a round trip. So, now we just wait for it to come back."

"I see, that makes sense..." Wakaba murmured in response. She seemed to grasp the basic ideas, like ensuring they got the right location, but some of the specifics on how it all worked felt like it went a bit over her head when talking about their plan. Not that Negi would've blamed her, matters like this seemed to give a lot of people headaches, something Negi was going to feel if this latest plan didn't pan out, as this plan was starting to get tiring.

It'd taken them over a week to get enough magical energy for this and set up the delayed spell on the device to return without their input. He and Fate had sent it off moments ago, so now all that remained was for everyone to wait and hope for a sign it would return. With their set up, it hopefully wouldn't be more than a few minutes, if everything went right.

Promisingly, there was a small flash of light ahead of where Negi stood. However, any hopeful feelings soon vanished when he saw the state their camera was in. There were some cracks spread across the device, even some of the inner machinery was visible, a troubling sign for sure. They had tried to set it up to record any magical signatures, the World Tree at Mahora Academy was a good reference to use for determining if they had the right place, as pure audio or video wouldn't have been definitive proof, so even if the normal recordings were damaged, perhaps they could still use that.

"Wait, Negi-kun. Let me do it." Fate interjected before Negi could make a motion to pull the camera toward him, reaching out with his own hand instead to telekinetically move it toward his hands, carefully grasping the camera once it was close.

"How does it look, Fate?" Negi questioned, a pensive frown on his face. It didn't look the best, but he wasn't going to lose hope till it was confirmed. Though, he couldn't help but wonder about the sudden insistence Fate had on inspecting it himself.

Fate stared at the camera, carefully inspect the more damaged sections, before trying a few buttons, to no reaction. "Unfortunately, it looks damaged beyond functionality. And I can't immediately tell if it managed to successfully feed off any of the World Tree's magic. The attempted trip doesn't seem like it was entirely stable and that's likely where the problem lies. If we studied this for a bit, maybe we can see if it managed that much, but even if it arrived at the last place, I think we still need further testing to ensure it's stable. A small camera is hardly comparable to two people."

Negi nodded in agreement. Even if both of them were immortal, Fate's wasn't as strong as his was, more the ability to reattach part of themselves and not being bothered by getting cut in half, compared to his level, which rendered having much of his being blown to pieces, a minor annoyance. It was not good to take any chances when it came to matters of time and space.

"Umm..." Wakaba muttered before Negi could verbally respond, drawing both mage's attention to the curious looking spirit. "You mentioned that you were working on time travel."

"That's correct. Was there something you wanted to ask about it?" Negi asked inquisitively, calling on her in a similar manner to how he sometimes addressed his students when they had a question.

"Is… It possible to change the past with this?" Wakaba asked, leaning toward Negi with a restrained intensity in her eyes, an undercurrent of hopefulness creeping into her words.

Negi could only frown sympathetically in response to the question. Already knew where this question was going to be headed. "Well… That's a bit of a complicated question. It's _technically_ possible, but not in the way you're thinking of it."

He saw the spirit's features shift to confusion, a perplexed eyebrow raised.

"How to explain it..." Negi began, pausing for a moment to consider the best and simplest approach. It was a little harder for him to think today for whatever reason.

"Let's say you time travel to the past and changed a significant event in the past. That would instead likely create an alternate timeline to this one, branching off from it. So, while the new timeline would proceed with whatever changes you caused, nothing would happen to _this_ one. So, if you tried to return to where you came from expecting to find a changed world, that, unfortunately, wouldn't be the case." Negi added with an apologetic tone. He knew this wasn't the answer Wakaba had been hoping for.

Indeed, Wakaba's hint of hopefulness soon faded back toward a more neutral face, mulling the options over. "You said _likely_ though, are you certain that's what would happen?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure how it works, I just have my own personal experience to draw from. I just know that, when I used something to travel back a short time, I ended up meeting myself a few times, so we were both clearly traveling to the same timeline. However, I didn't change anything world altering during that time and it wasn't even a 24 hours difference. But, when I had a descendant of mine come from 100 years in the future to try and change a past tragedy, it influenced many later events and her timeline still remained unchanged, despite the event she came back to stop, being prevented." All the while Negi spoke, Wakaba's face took on a pensiveness toward it, intently listening to each word he said, a twinge of disappointment barely visible past her mask, though it did briefly crack into disbelieving confusion when he mentioned Chao's trip through time.

"So, my assumption is that if there are only minor changes that wouldn't massively change the world or cause a time paradox with something like removing the reason for you traveling back, so, therefore, you would've never traveled back in the first place, despite doing so, it'll stay within the same timeline. But, if something like that _does_ happen, then it creates an alternate timeline, avoiding time paradoxes. Or, maybe it has something to do with the method one uses to travel back... It's hard to say for certain, the matter is very complicated, really." Negi finished, looking towards Wakaba with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry that wasn't the answer you were looking for, Nogi-san..."

"So, then there isn't a way to change the past here it sounds like..." Wakaba let out a small sigh, before composing her features back toward a disappointed smile. It was only for a moment, but the girl looked positively disheartened before she managed to level her features. "It's alright. Thank you for still telling me."

"Who knows, there's likely more about this than I know. If I ever see my more experienced descendant again, I can ask her more about this." The child reassured, bringing a slightly more genuine smile to Wakaba's face.

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness, Negi-san. But, what kind of a world do you live in where you become a teacher so young and have a future descendant come to your time…?" Wakaba murmured her second sentence flatly, looking a hint exasperated.

"If you wish to keep talking, then I'll be taking my leave." Fate abruptly interrupted.

"Ah, sorry, Nogi-san. But that's something we can save for another time. I should get to helping Fate look over everything and see where we can improve." Negi said.

"No, Negi-kun. I'll look over this myself today." To Negi's surprise, the construct corrected, still eyeing their test device. "You should rest for today."

This immediately caught Negi's attention, making the child spin toward Fate with a questioning frown. "Fate? What do you mean? This isn't usually like you." Fate had almost never encouraged him to take any time away from working, always stressing focusing on the task at hand, so to have him say something the complete opposite? What possibly occurred?

"Ever since we got here, you haven't rested a single day, and we've been here for some time now. I can see it's starting to wear on you." Fate stated, turning his focus to meet Negi's eyes.

Negi crossed his arms indignantly at the remark. "You haven't exactly taken any days off either, Fate."

"I haven't been spreading myself as thin as you have. You've been using magic far more regularly than I have, from using more High-Ancient spells overall, to teaching the girls and preparing all the material for it. We both can go for incredibly long times without rest, but I've been able to maintain my magic usage at a level where it doesn't wear on me. I saw it back when we dealt with the Vertex, you seemed more exhausted than you should have been, a trend which has only continued to grow worse you doing things like trying to make additional magical focuses for the Heroes." Fate continued without a single pause. "If you're not at your best, then that means you can't give you full attention and power to accomplishing this task. We can't afford any mistakes that would've been easily avoided if you were alert."

"Have… Neither of you slept since you first got here?" Wakaba interjected with subdued surprise, her expression quickly turning into one of concern for the two mages.

Negi turned toward Wakaba with a guilty expression. "Well… Not exactly, no."

"That's can't possibly be safe." Wakaba scolded, her voice turning firmer, though a dash of concern laced within the words.

"I'm managing alright. A little sleep is less important than us getting home." Negi tried to deflect, though Wakaba didn't look convinced.

"While true, that doesn't matter if the lack of rest is causing issues accomplishing that goal." Fate quickly rebuked.

"After what happened with here, we can't afford to take a break yet. We need to look through everything and see what went wrong here. If we can get this problem solved, then we might have the last piece done before we can think about sending ourselves." The child protested. He was beginning to feel some deja vu over the situation. Someone in his class, Asuna generally, would give him a similar scolding whenever he took his 'workaholic' tendencies too far, just like Fate thought he was doing now.

"You both should rest for a bit." Wakaba continued her lecturing, a stern stare on her face. "Even if you can stay up for weeks on end, everyone has a limit somewhere. If it's hurting your performance, then you need to take a break."

"I don't need it." Fate bluntly rejected. "But, Negi-kun should rest."

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Because I'm managing and he is not."

"Fate, I appreciate you're concerned for me, but I'm alright." Negi quickly cut in, before Wakaba could respond. Honestly, he did feel not quite 100% and Fate did have a point, but this was too important. He could rest _after_ they finished this step of the project.

"Denied, Negi-kun." Fate answered without an ounce of hesitation. "I'll continue working on this so that our progress doesn't slow down too much. Besides, The Heroes invited you to something today. You need to go deal with that anyway. The longer you stay, the less work I'll get done."

Oh, Negi knew Fate was using this as an excuse to get him to relax. If this were any other time, then he _knew_ the mage would've protested going to such an event and insisted on working with their project. He could be annoyingly crafty when the situation called for it, but unfortunately, he was right about that. There was still some time before it, but he still _did_ plan on going, so it wouldn't make too much of a difference if he left early, especially if they were going to argue like this.

"Nogi-san invited you as well, Fate. But, I guess you'll be busy with this then." Negi said, earning a confused, tilted head from Wakaba. "Sorry, your descendant. Different Nogi-san." Quickly correcting himself, the mage added.

"That is correct." Fate nodded.

"Fine." Negi answered, sighing in defeat. "Good luck with the work then, Fate. I'll see you later, let me know if anything urgent comes up."

Preparing his teleportation spell, Negi starting walking away from the scene, hearing Wakaba trying to persuade Fate into getting some sleep himself as he left.

* * *

It was something Gin had been waiting to do for most of the summer season so far, but her team had finally arranged for a beach visit. Sonoko, with her family's seemingly endless amounts of money, had reserved a beach side resort for everyone to enjoy on one of their off days, some adults in her family's employment supervising. The place even had a small indoor water park, though she was more excited about the beach, as they had already visited one of those before summer. Still, Gin had been expecting a more public trip when thinking of going to the beach. Not that it wasn't fun to just have some time with her best friends, but Gin was more of a social person.

Or, at least she normally was.

After arriving at the resort and changing into their swimsuits, Gin had realized just how _exposed_ her choice, a red and white striped two-piece, made her. More specifically, how much it exposed the enormous scar now over the left side of her abdomen.

Still in the changing rooms, Gin moved her hand down to the fist sized, circle shaped scar, briefly touching it. The damage had been a leftover remnant from arguably the worst injury she had sustained when battling the three Vertex alone when one of Sagittarius arrows had pierced straight through her. The skin had already long since healed over, thanks for the timely healing from the two mages, but the severity had clearly left it's mark. The skin was off colored and rougher feeling, patchy even, around the center, slowing growing smoother and less obvious the further out from the center her hand went. It normally didn't bother her much, but her casual wear always covered it or was in the privacy of her own home, such as taking a bath. In her normal swimwear and about to be around other people, she hadn't realized just how noticeable it would be until now. She had some smaller scars from training and battle, sure, and those never felt like a problem, but this one _really_ stood out. Maybe it was a good thing they were in a more private place this time...

"Mino-saaaan~, are you coming~? Let's go hit the beach while it's nice and warm!" Sonoko's voice drew the girl back into the present.

Oh, well. Huge as the scar was, she was still only around her friends, so she wasn't going to let this stop her from having fun. She was perfectly comfortable around Sonoko and Sumi, trusting them enough to share anything. "Yeah, sorry! Be right there!"

"Hey, sorry about the wait!" Gin quickly apologized, rushing up to her friends. Sonoko was in her usual white one piece with pink highlights around the edges and tiny skirt, while Sumi was currently doing a few warm up stretches in a new swimsuit, a one piece with dark and light purple colored stripes across, complemented by a more normal sized, ruffled black skirt around her waist.

"It's f-" Sonoko started, only for her voice to pause, her eyes quickly darting to the large scare on Gin's stomach. Though trying to keep his faced composed, Gin could see her features fell, trying to hide a guilty frown at the sight.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Before Sonoko could utter any expected apologies, Gin quickly interjected, a casual smile on her face. She knew Sonoko had some regrets over what had happened, even if they had talked about and made her feel better at the hospital, most people didn't get over stuff in a day. "I'll just need to go buy a new swimsuit next time we're out."

By now, Sumi's attention had also been drawn to the sight, bringing a small frown to the girl, though it lessened after Gin's casual affirmation. "Well, it's just the three of us today, it should be alright. But, we're scheduling a shopping trip once this is over."

"Hey, wait a second. I can buy a swimsuit on my own..." Gin sighed nervously, already envisioning all the frilly and cute girly outfits Sonoko and Sumi were going to put her in if they tagged along on any shopping trips.

"Besides." Gin said, a smirk making it's way onto her face, eyes glancing over toward Sumi and shifting her gaze downward. "Looks like you already got a new swimsuit yourself. It looks a lot bouncier than the old one too from those stretches."

Her friend's face quickly turned red, crossing their hands defensively over her chest and taking a step back.

"Weeeeeell, about that..." Sonoko started before Sumi could respond, face still looking guilty, though now more along the lines of a child who just got caught sneaking snacks.

This immediately drew both Gin and Sumi's attention, a slowly sinking feeling growing in Gin's stomach. If it wasn't just them, Sonoko didn't actually do what Gin thought, did she?

"Spring-san and Fei-kun always seem like they're busy working or trying to help us-"

 _Oh, no._

"Sooooo, I thought they could use a break and invite them along~." Letting out a nervous chuckle, Sonoko continued with an equally uncharacteristically shy look. "They were going to meet us at the beach."

 _She had._

The reason for Sumi's red face quickly turned from embarrassment to frustration. "S-Sonocchi!? You invited two _boys_ for this and didn't tell us?!"

"I forgot~." Sonoko innocently said, though Gin held her doubts about just how true that statement was. "It's not like there wouldn't be boys as a beach normally though~."

"But, I thought this was private!" Sumi protested, crossing their arms over her chest with a huff.

"Well, if Mino-san's not comfortable with it, then I can call and ask them not to come. I didn't know about the scar..." Her voice taking on a sincerity to it, Sonoko focused his attention back toward Gin, expectantly waiting for an answer, something Sumi mirrored.

"Err, I mean-" Gin avoided eye contact with the two, looking off to the side while trying to think. She felt her heart start nervously beating faster at the idea in time with her cheeks heating up. Yes, it was true they would be plenty of boys around at a public beach, but random people were different than another boy she knew well! And then there was the large, highly visible scar on her stomach. Something about the idea of Negi seeing that, couldn't help stir a pang of self-conscious worry. Dammit, why couldn't she stop getting flustered over this?!

"If you already invited them..." Gin weakly muttered the answer. If they had already been invited along, she didn't want to be _rude,_ and Sonoko was right that the mages seemed to largely be working or giving any help they could to the Heroes. Gin had only really been in a more casual situation with either of them a few times, but all but the first time Negi helped her get to school had been specifically because he'd come to help her.

Sumi's reaction was a perplexed recoil at Gin's answer.

"You're sure Mino-san?" Sonoko asked once more.

"Y-Yeah, don't worry about me. Be kinda lonely on a whole beach with just 3 people, anyway" Gin tried to brush off the concerns with a small laugh, though she wasn't terribly convincing toward even herself. "You already invited them, so I'll manage. It'd be rude to tell them to leave, especially if they already got here..."

"Okay, if you're sure then~." Sonoko said, some relief seeping into her tone and smile. "And Wasshi?"

Sumi answered with an annoyed groan, before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine, Gin is right. But no more surprises like this again, Sonocchi..."

"Promise~." With an innocent, yet shameless smile, Sonoko replied back. "Come on, let's go then~."

This day was not at all going to go how Gin expected, she was sure of it.

* * *

After heading outside, bringing a few things with them to make their time on the beach more fun, the girls had expectantly run into someone waiting for them outside, but they had only met Negi, wearing a simple pair of white swim trunks with a tet of thin black lines going down both sides of it, instead of both the mages. Fate had apparently decided he wasn't interested in the offer and preferred to experiment more, given their latest attempt wasn't terribly successful.

Still, after some short introductions and less than warm attitude from Sumi, everyone had gotten busy at the beach. Sumi had started building a what was shaping up to be an _enormous_ looking sand castle, while Sonoko had grown enamored with some objects washed up on the beach, such as pretty shells, while Negi seemed to hover around the water. Though, there was one thing in common between all of them. Each sometimes spared a bit of a worried glance toward Gin's general direction.

Gin herself was finding it a bit difficult to get involved in the fun as much as everyone else. Because every time she thought about doing something, she had an uncharacteristic shyness overtake her when remembering her scar and somewhat exposed attire, made worse by any times Negi looked in her direction and made her try to keep the scar covered. What was she getting so worked up for about this, dammit! She had been a bit nervous before, yes, but it was so much worse in the actual situation! It was just a scar! But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feelings gripping her heart.

Some footsteps drew Gin's attention to her side, where she saw Sumi approaching her, some concern on her face. "Gin, are you okay? You're not acting too much like your usual self..." The girl gently asked with a frown.

Was she _that_ obvious?

"I'm… Doing okay. Just relaxing in the sun a bit." Gin tried to brush off the concerns, not wanting to worry her friend. Even if she was having a complicated time, she didn't want to drag down anyone else's enjoyment due to being worried over her, even if this had been getting to her far more than initially expected.

Sumi didn't look convinced, her frown remaining firmly plastered on her face. "You seemed quite eager to visit the beach, so I thought you would've jumped right into the water already." With a brief pause, Sumi's expression and tone darkened considerably, as if she were about to invoke a curse with her next words. "Is it because of him?"

"Wh- No, it's not, I mean-" Gin sputtered, slightly taken aback by the accusation, but also the sheer intensity from Sumi over the matter. She wasn't technically _wrong,_ some concern over the other was part of what had stopped her from jumping into the water, but it wasn't because she didn't like him or anything. If anything it was the opposite, they were kind and easy to get along. It was probably just some normal nerves about being around a boy she knew like this, maybe in part because she felt she was physically lacking next to her friends. Even Sonoko wasn't a completely level plane, let alone comparing herself to Sumi.

"I knew it! That western pervert shouldn't have been invited." Sumi, taking the even slightly off guard hesitation as confirmation, declared dramatically, standing up straight.

"H-hey, come on. It's not that, it was an accident..." Gin, finding her voice again, protested with a weary voice, face slumping down a touch. Embarrassing as that had been, was Sumi still _really_ on that, or was it just the circumstances that brought it bubbling back up? She sometimes had her moments like this with getting caught up in something. "It's not anything to do with Negi-san." That, at least, Gin thought was true. "You've done this a few times..."

Sumi, her momentum paused before she got too wrapped up, look back at Gin with a questioning face, before finally admitting defeat with a sign. "Fine, I apologize for assuming, Gin. How about we have another race in the water then, like last time?" Trying to improve her friend's mood, Sumi suggested, her colder features taking on a more warm and friendly smile with the idea.

Normally, that would've been something Gin would've jumped on, but her earlier concerns flashed once more.

"Hey, Wasshi, Mino-san! Look what I put on the sand castle!" Sonoko's voice called out, making both girls look in the direction of it. What they saw was that Sumi's half finished sand castle, which was at least _the same height as Sonoko,_ decorated with various objects the eccentric had collected on the beach, namely a lot of shells.

"Sumi… Where did you learn how to make a sand castle like that?" Gin flatly commented. She certainly never did anything halfway…

However, Gin's comment seemed to go unheard, with Sumi instead growing wide eyed at seeing Sonoko about to place a larger shell on one point. "Sonocchi, wait! That part is-"

Sumi's warning came too late and the extra weight of the shells caused the impressive structure to collapse, and with Sonoko leaned in to place a shell, directly onto her face, dragging her down to the ground with it and nearly burying the girl's entire upper body in sand.

"S-Sonocchi!?" Sumi called out in shock. "Gin, we can talk more after I deal with this." Without another word, the Hero quickly raced off to help and then likely give a stern scolding toward the buried blonde.

Gin let out an amused sigh at the events, a small smile working its way onto her face. Her friends were sure something special. It was probably good if she went over to help though.

"Hey, are you doing alright, Minowa-san?"

And just like that, Gin felt her amusement being replaced by panic.

"Huh?" Gin muttered at the sound of Negi's voice coming from beside her, drawing the girl's attention toward him.

"I saw Washio-san come over to check on you, but then she got busy helping Nogi-san. So, I thought I'd see if you're doing alright. You've been keeping to yourself quite a bit." Friendly as ever smile, the child continued.

"Oh, uh-" Reflexively, she started moving one of her hands to cover the near palm sized scar on the left side of her waist, before catching herself mid motion and easing her arm up to just cover it with her forearm. She didn't want him to see that mark on her body… But if she made a show of trying to cover it, that'd just be even more suspicious and attention grabbing. At the same time, her choice of a two piece swimsuit made an injury of that size difficult to hide even covertly.

"Hey Negi-san, what's, uh, I'm doing fine!" Gin tried to dismissively answer, only for the nerves creeping into her voice not able to fool even herself.

Negi's expression fell to a frown, eyes flashing with concern toward the girl. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" His voice was soft and gentle, not at all forceful to push the idea on Gin if she wasn't comfortable about it.

"Er..." Gin hesitated for just a moment. Negi was a kind person and always tried to help where he could, he was like her in that respect and it was something Gin liked about him, but this entire trip, it was really starting to erode at some of Gin's confidence. She didn't have anywhere near the kind of body Sumi did, Gin thought even Sonoko could be called more attractive next to her, as Gin, annoyed as she was to admit it, was certainly a washing board. And then just furthering that, was the nasty and eyecatching scar she now sported. Normally, she wouldn't be bothered, but being around just girls, her best friends no less, in a swimsuit was one matter. It was different when boys were thrown into the mix, she felt… Exposed. Especially now that the boy next to her was also in nothing but swim shorts. And no shirt on.

Immediately, Gin felt her face starting to heat up as the thought went through her mind. She'd never seen Negi without a shirt, actually. She hadn't ever _thought_ about what such a thing would look like, but she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. The boy definitely had some just visible muscles, even if they weren't anything major due to his age, kind of like her team had themselves from training actually, but to a bit higher degree from being a boy. Of course, it made _sense,_ given the kind of training they must've done, but they-

"Minowa-san?"

Once more, Negi's voice brought Gin back to the present. What the hell had she been doing? _What the hell had she been thinking?_ Averting her eyes, the heat in her face quickly skyrocketed till she felt like her head would burst into flames at any moment.

"Are you sure you're alright? Is the heat getting to you? Your face is really red..." Negi voiced with concern, inching his face closer toward her, too close for comfort!

"R-Really! I'm f-fine!" Gin stuttered, backing up to put some distance between the two, trying to take a breath to calm herself.

"If you're certain..." Negi responded unsurely, standing back up straight. "Is now a bad time then?"

"Huh? No, it's fine!" Gin's mouth answered before her brain could properly think, making the girl want to mentally slap herself. Yes, the situation was more than just a little embarrassing, but Negi was just trying to be nice and Gin didn't want to be rude. Besides, brushing him off with a reaction like _that_ surely would've just made him even more concerned, and the Hero didn't want that. "You can sit here if you like..."

Negi's expression shifted into a pleased smile, before taking a seat next to Gin on the warm sand of the beach, noticeably taking several extra steps to rest on the side where Gin's scar lied. Had he already figured her out from the earlier reaction?

Turning his head to look Gin directly in the eyes, Negi spoke gently, a sympathetic touch to his voice even. "Minowa-san, about that scar..."

 _He had._

Gin felt the corners of her lips curve into a slight frown at the comment, her earlier fears bubbling back up. She opened her mouth and started forming a reply.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about. I think it's something special."

Gin's face froze. Did she hear that right? Had he really called the scar on her abdomen something _special?_ Gin tried to form some kind of response, but only one sound came out of her confused mouth. "Huh..?

"It's something you got when fighting those three Vertex by yourself, right? You were defending your friends and everyone the Shinju-sama protected. I only saw a little bit of your fight, but the way you were able to fight so strongly, even with such heavy injuries, that was amazing. I'm not sure I could've fought that well in such a state before I was immortal."

Gin felt her cheeks start to flush again at the sudden influx of praise coming toward her from Negi, her heart starting to beat quicker and quicker in her chest. He sure wasn't reserved when it came to praise, but... What did that have to do with her scar?

"And a scar like that, it's proof of the battle you fought. I used to have a scar I thought like that about, actually." Negi continued casually before Gin could further question it.

For the moment, Gin's train of thought was directed to Negi's last comment. _He'd_ had a major scar too? Quickly looking over his body, while trying to fight a deeper blush on her face and avoid starring at anything _again,_ Gin raised a curious eyebrow. She didn't see a single sign of any damage on Negi's body. If anything, it looked _unnaturally_ perfect, not a sign of rough skin anywhere, completely unlike what she'd expect from someone with his build and fighting prowess.

"It was right here." Negi motioned with a finger toward his left cheek, the one closest to Gin, tracing an invisible line across it and ending an inch from his ear. "I got it fighting someone I respected deeply in a tournament. It was a real difficult battle, probably the hardest I'd ever had up to that point. After I won, I could've had that scar healed if I wanted, but I didn't."

Gin tilted her head a few degrees in curiosity, intently listening to Negi's story. "And you didn't get it healed, because you thought it was a battle scar proving you won that tough fight, right?" Gin questioned slowly. Something didn't add up here.

"Correct." Negi said with a nostalgic grin and small nod toward Gin. His eyes had a melancholic heaviness to them, but at the same time, they were undercut with a clear sense of fondness for the memories.

"But, if that's the case..." Gin began, brow furrowing as she focused intently on the spot Negi had indicated earlier. She didn't want to be rude, since whatever this scar had been clearly held a sense of sentimental value for Negi, but at the same time she couldn't help her curiosity and if he was telling her this story, then he surely was going somewhere with it. "What happened to it?"

At this, Negi's expression fell a hair, not quite a frown, but neither the usual optimistic smile he carried. "You remember how I mentioned becoming immortal, right?"

Gin nodded.

"Well, it was when that happened." Negi began, a twinge of bitterness within his words. "That healed my body from any major damage or marks, along with meaning any future such damage would instantly regenerate as soon as it happened. And, because of that, it 'healed' the scar I had. I still miss it." The child finished with a small sigh.

"Sorry to hear that..." Gin's face changed into a sympathetic frown. She was a sentimental person herself, and to lose something you valued with no ability to ever get it back, be if a photo, memento, or even just a gift from a friend? That would've been frustrating for anyone. At the same time, it explained a lot for Gin. Why Negi's hand had been so oddly smooth when he helped her to school, the weirdly free of even minor blemishes body, it all made sense now.

"So," Negi continued, shifting gears almost instantly, his words and demeanor taking on more of his usual positive energy. "A scar like that isn't anything to be ashamed of, it's a battle scar."

Gin moved her left hand over the wound, delicately tracing over it with a finger, feeling almost normally smooth outer edges, to the more rough and calloused center, just like she had before. It was certainly noticeable, but a battle scar huh…

Hold on, what the hell was she doing? She'd even called it exactly that to her friends when they'd expressed concern after her physical following the disastrous battle with the Vertex where the mages had first arrived. Of course it was fine! Why was she fussing so much over this then? She'd felt nervous and worried over Negi seeing such a mark on her body, when she already felt lacking next to her friends in this environment. But hearing this story and that he didn't seem to mind it, it brought a sense of relief to Gin she didn't know she needed. Why was she being so silly about this? It wasn't like her.

"Besides." Negi began once more, drawing Gin's attention out of her thoughts and toward the boy again. "I still think you look cute, scar and all."

Gin's heart skipped a beat, feeling a wave of heat _instantly_ wash over her face to such a degree, she was convinced this must've felt what being on fire was like. Unable to keep looking Negi in the eyes after such a comment, Gin quickly turned her head away and glanced downward between her legs, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them closer to try and hide her expression. She could practically feel the steam coming out of her ears. "T-Thanks..." Was all the girl could mutter in response, unable to focus her mind on saying anything else. Why did he have to do this again? She'd already felt ready to explode the first time he'd called her cute. Cute wasn't her type! She was more the cool person. But… Even still, she couldn't say she _disliked_ the compliment…

Still… She was being silly over this whole thing, wasn't she? But this conversation, she felt like a bit of a weight had been taken off her shoulders. The only people around were her fellow Heroes and Negi. She certainly had nothing to worry about with her friends, and this talk had eased much of her concerns being around the boy like this. Gin still might not have had a figure like Sumi, but she was still growing anyway and that wouldn't stop her from having fun now.

Taking a deep sigh to compose herself, Gin stood up, glancing toward Negi with a grin on her face. "Hey, thanks again, Negi-san."

"Feeling better?" Negi asked, rising to his feet and returning the friendly expression.

"Yeah, a lot." Gin replied with a confident nod. Moving one of her hands toward her hair, Gin carefully undid the clasp holding her signature flower patterned hairclip in place, holding it out toward Negi. "Here, hold onto this for me while we're here."

Negi raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before he could form a reply, Gin continued. "I don't wanna lose it while swimming. Sometimes take it off, but I uh.. Forgot this time." She clarified, a little warmth flowing to her cheeks once more in time with the mild embarrassment in her voice. Between the _surprise_ Sonoko had dropped on her and Sumi and being reluctant to jump into the water, she'd left it on this whole time. Just saying 'thanks' wasn't quite good enough for Gin, she always wanted to try repaying any kindness she got and Negi had helped her quite a bit without much chance for her to do so, and this was what she had at the moment. Between all the personal stories they had shared, she trusted the other a lot by now, and wanted to do something to show it.

Negi's eyes glanced toward the flower clip, before returning directly to Gin's own, the usual tender smile she liked to see on his face. "I'll take good care of it then." He added with a confident voice, delicately taking the item from Gin's hand. "Ready to have fun then?"

Hands now free and no need to worry about losing her belongings, Gin turned her attention back toward her two friends before considering an aswer. As expected, Sumi had freed Sonoko from her sand prison, the girl throwing a friendly wave in their direction beneath what sand still covered her, while Sumi wore a disgruntled face, arms crossed and tapping one of them with her fingers. She hoped neither of them saw that exchange just now, or else explaining it was certainly going to be fun...


	17. Chapter 17

"Why does school have to be so hard..." Gin muttered with an exasperated sign, only to get a light tap on the head with a floating book.

"Gin, your studying is important." Sumi, the one controlling a few of the floating books with magic, scolded sternly. "Summer vacation is over half over and if we don't work on it now, then we'll just have even _less_ time to get through your work."

"I think Wasshi's just jealous that Spring-san was going to help Mino-san personally~." Sonoko teased with a shameless look, eyeing Sumi with a grin. "You were preeeeeeeetty insistent on coming over to help Mino-san as well when you heard about this~."

"I-I am not!" Sumi stammered in protest, a hint of red spreading to her cheeks, one of the books falling from the air and hitting the ground with a dull _thud_ from her concentration breaking. "But I don't trust a boy like him coming to Gin's house alone late like this!"

"Hey, he apologized for what happened after Ines and it was an accident..." Gin stated with a sigh. Lightened up around him though she may have, the girl still seemed quite reluctant to completely trust the other or act with the same casualness Sumi displayed around herself and Sonoko.

"Hrm, when you put it that way, you have a point~." Sonoko responded, an all too dangerously familiar shine within her eyes. "That could make a good setup for a story… A boy comes over to a girls house in the evening to help her with some personal one on one time, but as the night goes on, it becomes harder to focus on work, each one slowly growing more distracted by the o-"

" _Stoooooooop."_ Gin protested furiously before Sonoko could finish her sentence, shielding her currently burning face with the folds of her book. Sonoko had been the one to encourage this in the first place! Wait, _of course she had._ For whatever reason, her friend seemed to have grown extra aggressively lately with making Gin the subject of her antics.

"Aw, but Spring-san should be here soon, right?" Sonoko responded with a smile, earning a narrowed, disapproving gaze from Sumi.

Was it that time already? True to his word, the mage had tried talking with her about a time to come help her study, and though Gin had a feeling it was going to get embarrassing for her like this, though she had expected her parents to give some light teasing over her having a boy outside her family over at her house for the first time, Gin had had trouble turning Negi down. It wasn't just because she wanted to avoid being rude or Negi had been insistent on helping, she weirdly didn't seem to be against it as much as she would've normally expected, even despite everything. Getting to talk in a more casual setting seemed like something nice, even with the circumstances. The hell was up with her lately…

"Gin." Her mother, Kogane's, voice drew Gin's attention, before the door to her room opened up to her form. The woman's face held a strong resemblance toward Gin herself, a notable except in her dark brown and past the shoulder free flowing hair, compared to Gin's shorter and more pale color. Her attire was a pale orange, short sleeved button up shirt, with a plain pair of light green pants. However, she wasn't alone. Beside her, and with a friendly smile, was Negi. "Your friend is here for you."

"Hello, it's nice to see you all again." Negi greeted warmly. Gin likewise gave a small wave, if a little weaker than her normal energy from how the situation messed with her, alongside Sonoko. While Sumi's expression turned into a forced politeness, unable to keep most of her cold glare from Negi. "I see you've already started. I hope it's going well, Minowa-san."

"It's kinda funny how Mino-san's usually casual and prefers to go by first names, but Spring-san's at her house and still not using her first name, huh~." Throwing fuel onto the fire once again, Sonoko teasingly commented.

 _Arg, of course Sonoko had to do this!_

"I'll leave you four to work. Thanks for helping Gin with her summer work. She takes care of everyone else so much, sometimes she has trouble looking after herself." Thankfully, Kogane's quick comment seemed to shift the topic, though she still held a rather amused looking smile.

Gin let out a small, embarrassed whine at her mother's comments, not helped by Sonoko's previous one. She wasn't _wrong,_ but it was still hard to hear your own parents say such stuff in front of your friends! Never before had she looked forward to getting _back_ to her school work! "Y-yeah. We, uh, have a lot of work to do!" The flustered girl stammered, turning her face away to hide the growing blush on it.

"I'll bring some snacks for everyone in a bit." Turning away from the room, the woman headed toward the kitchen, but not until she gave the room one more quick glance, in particular seeming to direct it toward Negi. It was only a moment and nothing was said, but Gin saw a deep appreciation and happiness in her mother's eyes. It made Gin briefly flashback to when she realized everything would be okay after near-certain death. Kogane had always kept a much closer eye on her since then and Gin could only imagine her mom's relief.

With Gin's mom gone, Negi closed the entrance to Gin's room, leaving the four with a conflicting atmosphere and bringing the room's owner back to the present. Negi and Sonoko seeming cheerful and casual, Sumi eyeing Negi pensively, and Gin herself feeling like her face would catch fire if it started heating up again. At least it was hopefully over, for now…

"So, what have you covered so far?" Taking a seat next to Gin, that the girl was now realizing Sonoko had intentionally left open, Negi curiously asked, glancing between some of the books. "Saving table space by keeping the books floating and opened to certain pages, I see. Good idea."

"We've been covering math mainly." Sumi answered, motioning to one of the books in front of Gin.

"There's not any kind of magic to make you super smart and get this stuff done quickly, is there?" Gin commented, sarcastically with a joking tone more than seriously wondering, but with everything else she'd seen magic do, the girl was interested for curiosity's sake. It helped distract her mind from the situation a bit.

"Magic can't fix everything, Minowa-san." Negi replied, taking a look over the material in Gin's book. "It's important to learn how to do some work yourself."

"See, I told you there aren't any shortcuts and studying is important Gin." Sumi chided, looking at Gin dismissively.

Gin responded with a defeated sigh, before her expression took an upturn back toward a good-natured smile, letting out a small chuckle. "Ah, well. Can't blame me for asking. You and Sonoko always make this stuff look so easy compared to me."

"Oh, right." Negi spoke up, raising his hand lightly to draw everyone's attention. "Speaking of magic, before we begin, I almost forgot. There was something I wanted to give the three of you. Washio-san, you can put down the books for a minute."

At this, all three of the girls had their attention focused toward Negi, Sumi commanding the books she was levitating to rest back on the ground, still open to the pages she had them at.

"Whatcha got, Negi-san?"

"Well," Negi began, reaching into his green colored coat. "Sometimes, a mage will have an additional magical focus, in addition to their weapon, if they have one, which acts as the primary one to help channel magic and the like. Given your unique circumstances, already having weapons, and how well you managed to adjust while not transformed, it didn't occur to me you might need one. Especially with how quickly you've learned, Washio-san's even levitating a few objects without any sign of her practice wand, that's great progress."

"Of course, I've been practicing whenever I've had time." Though managing not to seem too flustered by the praise, especially given her relationship with who it was coming from, the girl's composure still softened a touch, a dash of red on her cheeks.

"However, while all the practicing did certain help you use magic more efficiently while transformed, I noticed that some usage of magic seems to be more draining than I'd expect. So, Fate and I made each of you something." Pulling their hand out, Negi revealed a small, silver colored metallic bracelet. The bracelet was largely plain and simple save a purple rose in the center and a small clip at the bottom to secure it only a small clip at the base to secure it.

"It won't replace a wand, but you can't exactly use something like that with your current fighting styles while transformed. So, we made a magical focus for each of you, something that shouldn't get in the way while you're fighting Vertex and also is easy to wear even during everyday life." Negi explained, turning his head toward Sonoko and holding the bracelet out toward them. "Nogi-san, this one is for you."

"Ooooh, pretty~." Sonoko commented, gently taking the object, sliding it onto her wrist and looking over it with a pleased look in her eyes. "How do I use it?"

"Think of it a bit similarly as you might with your wand." Negi answered softly. "It shouldn't take much thought, given how you're already doing, but I'm hoping it should help you while transformed mainly."

Sonoko gave an understanding nod, looking at Negi with an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Spring-san~."

"Next, is Washio-san." Negi started, directing the room's attention toward Sumi. "I thought it'd be good to give you each something unique and distinct from each other." Producing a necklace, the child finished, extending it to the girl. The necklace was likewise fairly simplistic, with the notable part of it being a small pendent at the bottom engraved with a Chrysanthemum flower.

Carefully, Sumi took the object, scanning her eyes over it, not with the same satisfied look Sonoko had, but with a more discerning scrutiny, fingers carefully being traced over the metal, rolling it around her hand. "And this will really help with using magic?" The girl, still keeping her eyes on the necklace, curiously asked, pensiveness finding its way into her words.

"It will." The mage answered with an affirmative nod. "I used one myself for a while. I can't say exactly how much it should work, there's not much precedent for situations like you three, but I think it should be quite helpful. Try levitating the books again with it, I think you'll find it even a little easier."

Sumi pursed her lips, looking at the trinket with a contemplative face for another second, before letting out a small sigh. "Alright, I'll give it a try then..." Though she didn't exactly sound enthusiastic, the girl nonetheless slipped the jewelry around her neck. Doing as suggested, the dropped books started levitating once again, with Sumi's features turning curious.

"Well, how does it feel?" Expectantly, Negi asked with a smile, leaning closer toward Sumi.

"It… _does_ seem to help a little..." Sumi admitted, sounding pleasantly surprised. "If you think it should help more while transformed, then, thank you, Negi-san." Speaking formally, the girl finished, not looking at the other child with a smile, but some of the earlier annoyance in her gaze having vanished at least.

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Negi replied, looking pleased himself. "Now, that brings me to Minowa-san's." Once more, the mage reached into their pockets.

Gin eagerly watched and waited, wondering just what kind of gift she was going to get. Sonoko and Sumi each got something distinct, so what was there left for her to get? Part of her couldn't help feeling particularly curious, because this was the first real personalized gift that Negi had given her, something that felt special compared to the standard magic practice stuff, even if they were all getting one, each was unique from the other.

"Here, this one is yours." After what felt like a long wait for Gin, but could've have been more than a second, Negi finally held out his hand toward her. Between his fingers, was a small silver colored ring, the image of a Moutan Peony engraved onto it. In the corner of her vision, Gin saw Sonoko lean further onto the table at the sight.

Gingerly, Gin took the object, carefully looking it over. Expectantly, it felt cool and metallic to the touch, perfectly smooth as well, save the parts which had the flower engraving on it of course.

"Thanks, Negi-san. Should be easy to wear." Gin said appreciatively, slipping the band onto her right index finger, moving it a few times to test the feeling, to which she found it fit perfectly, not too firm or loose, just right. Gin herself never cared much for jewelry, she thought it'd generally get in the way of her more physical activities, but this looked fine. It felt sold and sturdy between her fingers, without anything fragile like a jewel on it that could break during any sports or if she fell down, never mind how she could fell the magic in it, something that likely made it extra durable. She wasn't sure if Negi had intentionally taken all that into account or not, but it was a pretty thoughtful and useful gift if he had. Looking at it, she felt a weird lightness taking hold of her chest. Maybe she would try to get him a personal gift like this sometime, it only felt right to return the favor.

"Everything alright with it, Minowa-san? If it doesn't feel comfortable or right, I can try again another time." Negi asked, drawing the girl out of her daze, making her blink a few times and look up at the mage.

Give up the ring? "No, no, it's fine!" The girl quickly said, the idea of giving up the gift making her feel defensive, more warmth over taking her cheeks upon realizing what she'd been caught doing and the quick reaction. _That_ was an embarrassing thing to get caught doing, something that seemed to happen a lot with the mage.

"Mino-san looked pretty happy with her gift~." Sonoko teased with a smile, elbows resting on the table, hands pressed against her chin and holding their head up. "You know, giving jewelry like this can sometimes me-"

A book lightly tapped Sonoko on the forehead.

"Sonocchi, we need to get back to studying." Sumi, who's necklace appeared to of vanished beneath her shirt, scolded with an edge to her words, starring disapprovingly at Sonoko and throwing a side glance toward Negi. "There's a lot still to cover."

Sonoko rubbed the spot she'd been struck with one of her hands, slightly exaggerated in her motions. "Owowo."

"Something wrong, Nogi-san?" Head tilted in curiosity, Negi asked toward the blonde, an innocent, slightly confused expression on his face.

"Uh, we really gotta get this stuff done!" Gin interjected this time, quickly and with her words holding a touch of nervousness. "I wanna get enough of this done to take a break already, Sumi's been working us hard..." Though, that wasn't _entirely_ her reason for preventing Sonoko from speaking more. The girl had a habit of looking at gestures certain ways, certain ways that made Gin's mind start spinning to think of, her thoughts growing frazzled. It wasn't _actually_ something like what her friend sometimes brought up, was it? Nah, there was no way…

Even still, the thought made her start feeling anxious about her gift, fingers briefly fidgeting with it. Just what she needed while trying to focus on school work.

* * *

"We've gotta be close, right…?" Gin wearily questioned, resting a hand against her cheek while looking at her textbook. Gin wasn't sure how long they had been busy working in total, even before Negi had arrived, but they _must_ have been due for a break soon. It wasn't like they had to finish it all in one night! At least her mom had brought the group some food and drinks to make studying more bearable.

"You were a teacher and gave out homework before, so we've done enough to take a break, right?" Gin started, looking toward Negi hopefully, expecting them to be easier to reason with than Sumi. Oddly though, the child didn't immediately respond, staring at his own book for a moment.

"Earth to Spring-san~." Sonoko commented, playfully waving at the boy to grab their attention.

"Huh?" The mage finally responded, briefly glancing around in confusion. "Ah, sorry about that." Negi stated with a touch of apologetic embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "What did you need?"

"Well, I was saying maybe we've worked enough for a break, but are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit out of it." Gin asked, concern within her voice. The other kid seemed a little worn down during their studying session, tired. It wasn't like people didn't have off days and maybe Negi just had a long one, but with how superhuman they were and everything magic did, seeing them actually looking less than fine stirred worry in her heart. Negi had already gone out of his way to help her a few times and he seemed a bit like her in that they always tried to help out, even putting other's priorities above their own. If the boy wasn't feeling up to this, she would've hated to impose on him like this.

"No, no, I'm fine, really." Negi answered with a dismissive smile and wave of his hand. "I appreciate the concern, Minowa-san. I've just been busy thinking a lot over and working with my own projects. It's a long process, but nothing I can't handle on top of this."

"Alright… Just make sure you're taking care of yourself. I've seen Sumi do some crazy stuff when she's put her mind to it, and you seem like the kinda person to do that too."

"Wasshi's done a few all-nighters before~." Sonoko interjected with a carefree and amused smile. "Like when she made the guide books for our field trip and when she wrote a nov-"

"S-Sonocchi! I s-said not to talk about that!" Sumi quickly stammered, facing rapidly turning red and waving her hands in protest. Gin had never read her friend's attempts at writing, but given her personality and reaction every time it came up, she had a feeling perhaps it was better that way.

Negi uttered a small chuckle at the antics, speaking casually. "Well, I've done that before too, but don't worry, really I'm fine. I've managed this before."

Something about the way he'd responded made Gin wonder just what he meant by that. Given they were so dedicated and some of the other ridiculous things the child had done with magic, the question of their current weariness was actually from staying up rose in her head, and if so, just how long did someone with magic need to stay up? "Hey, Negi-san… How long have you been up for anyway?" It was _probably_ nothing, but she had to be certain if the other was going to help out like this.

"Hm? Let's see..."

Wait, why was he stopping to think?

"We got here on the 10th of July-"

Gin's arms went slack, slamming onto the table with a dull thud. _It was so much worse than she imagined._ _They were in_ _ **August**_ _now!_ "H-have you been up since you got here?!" The girl practically shouted, unable to restrain her disbelief.

"H-how are you still alive!?" Sumi stuttered, aghast over what she was hearing. Besides her, even Sonoko's eyes had gone wide with concern. "That's almost a month!"

"W-well, I'm immortal, so it's not like it's dangerous for me and magic keeps my stamina up..." Negi protested, taken aback by the intense reactions from the girls, acting like the whole thing was no big deal

"Not if you're spacing out like that!" Gin scolded, worry in her voice over any anger. She'd dealt with one of her brother's sometimes having issues sleeping and had definitely stayed up late once herself, bu t something like this was _completely_ different! Immortal or not, it didn't make them immune to anything negative, since the mage was acting like any tired person!

The door to Gin's room was suddenly opened, her mother standing, the woman looking at the mage with a face that was between intense worry and bewildered. Gin should've expected she would've been drawn by the shouting. "Gin told me that you're not exactly a typical child… But, is that true you haven't been taking care of yourself?"

"Er, I haven't been sleeping, but it's nothing I can't handle." Negi answered, recomposing himself. "I can use magic to keep myself going." The child quickly added, seeming to realize how unbelievable and extra concerning such a situation could seem to someone without context.

Kogane frowned at the child, not because they were upset or anything, but simply because they were worried. Gin knew her mom well. "Superhuman or not, you need to look after yourself. It's getting late, so why don't you rest the night here? I should be able to get a room ready for you. You could all stay over, if Gin doesn't mind and your parents are fine with it."

Gin felt all her thoughts grind to a painfully silent halt as she processed Kogane's words. Did she just invite everyone to stay the night? _Did she just invite Negi to stay the night, in her house? A boy her age, staying over at_ _ **her HOUSE?**_

"Eh!?" Gin and Sumi's voiced shouted in unison.

"That's very kind of you, but really, you don't need to go to those lengths..." Negi, seemingly unphased by the situation outside of feeling guilty over imposing upon the household, calmly stated.

Kogane's expression lightened into a soft, motherly smile toward the boy. "I know you don't want to be any trouble, but don't worry about it. You and, Fate-kun was it, are here by yourselves, aren't you?"

Negi nodded.

"I don't know what your situation back at your home is, but I'm sure your family must be worried about you." Kogane gently stated, a calming tone within her words. "If Gin was somewhere far from here and I had no way to know how she was doing, I would want her to be safe and taken care of above all else. I'm sure they're no different and want you to be okay, no matter how far apart you are."

Negi put a hand to his chin, thinking the words over for a moment, his eyes giving a brief glimpse into the deep thought he found himself in, still looking unsure on the offer. "You're… Right about that, but I have my own lodgings provided by the Taisha I can go back to."

Kogane shook her head, not losing her soft tone or smile. "I know you got here by yourself, but I bet however you got here would take more energy out of you to get back. If your family can't look out for you, then I'll do it for them. It's the least I can do, with how much you've helped our family and my own kid. We all need someone to look after us sometimes."

Gin felt like her face was going to explode. She had a point, and Gin was honestly worried about the other while wanting to pay them back for all the help, but this was still _so embarrassing_ and she hadn't expected it to be this way.

Seeing the woman wasn't going to give up, Negi let out a defeated sigh. "Well, if Minowa-san doesn't mind it then..." The mage said, glancing toward Gin.

Now, all eyes in the room were on Gin, and the girl felt herself freeze under the gazes. The situation was a lot for her to process and she felt like her brain would overheat from the fact a boy outside her family was going to stay the night at her house, but she _was_ concerned for Negi and it sounded like the mage needed someone to tie them down in order to get them to rest.

"Er, well… I guess I don't mind..." Gin muttered, barely able to raise her voice above a whisper. She felt ready for her face to catch on fire at the idea of 'inviting' a boy to stay the night, but if it was Negi, then she didn't mind so much with how much he'd helped her...

She knew Sonoko was still never going to let her live this down.

"Yaaaaay~." The blonde in question cheered, a pleased smile on her face, anything mischievous comments thankfully withheld. "We haven't had a sleepover in a while, and we've never stayed over at Mino-san's place before."

"Great, I'll go set something up for you." Smiling brightly, Gin's mother said, exiting the room and heading off into the depths of the household.

"..." Sumi glared at Negi for a few seconds. "… We're staying in separate rooms."

Gin suppressed a groan, looking down at her book like it was suddenly the most interesting object in the world. This night would be a long one.

* * *

Negi flipped through his personal notebook, going over the notes he had on him about finding a way home once more. He knew he should've been trying to sleep, he really should have, especially given how Fate, Gin's mother, and the Heroes had all expressed their concern for him over his work habits. But though he knew they were right, sleep refused to come easy for him, too many worries bouncing around his head. How was everyone back home doing? What if The Lifemaker had tried something or the Blue Mars Project suffered a major setback? And if he was going to lie in bed unable to sleep, then surely it was better to be doing something with that time, rather than waste it getting nothing done, wasn't it? Even still, he couldn't deny that, physically, it was starting to take a toll on him, especially with the feeling of a nice bed under him now, but mentally, the child was too wired for rest.

The Minowas had been kind enough to give him a simple, but comfortable room for his stay. The guest room of the house was mostly plain in furnishings, aside from the bed with a night stand, a single chair by a small desk, and a few shelves to hold things. There were also two lights, one on the desk and another on the ceiling, but they went unused as to not disturb anyone this late. His enhanced eyesight and supernatural senses weren't bothered by the dark anyway.

A familiar presence brought Negi's attention to the door of his provided room. He felt Gin standing in front of it, the darkness doing little to hinder his enhanced perceptions, but the girl simply stood there for a few moments, not entering like he expected. Was something the matter?

Standing up from the bed, Negi made his way over to the door, sliding it open quietly to see the girl standing there dressed in her sleepwear of a plain white t-shirt and gray shorts. He knew she wasn't going to be happy he was still up, but he didn't want to lie and trying to pretend he was sleeping. "Minowa-san? Is there something you needed? You were standing at the door for a bit without doing anything."

And, just as he expected, the girl did not look pleased. "… Why the hell are you still up..." Gin flatly muttered, starring with wide eyed exasperation.

"Er, well, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd go over a few theories while I was waiting, to see about working out some problems Fate and I have been having with our experiments. Since I'm here instead of with them." Negi explained, though he still had a small trace of guilt on his face. It was the truth, but it didn't mean he wasn't feeling bad about being unable to follow through, even after the earlier blow up.

"And I thought Sumi was bad…" Gin responded with a soft groan. "Can't you, I dunno, use some magic spell to knock yourself out?"

"Unfortunately, that wouldn't work." Negi said with a shake of his head. "I've always had high magical resistance like this and it just got worse after becoming immortal. Something helpful, like healing magic, works fine, but something negative like that would be far less effective, if at all, on me."

Gin sighed in frustration, before recomposing herself and looking directly into Negi's eyes. "Alright, move over… I'll stay with you till you're asleep." Her cheeks faintly turning red, Gin stated.

She was going to do _what_? No, he couldn't ask her to do that. Negi had already failed at trying to sleep, and he didn't want to end up with them both not sleeping the entire night. She'd already offered him somewhere to stay.

"Uh-uh." Gin shook a hand dismissively, just as Negi started to open his mouth. "You remember what my okaa-san said. 'We all need someone to look after us sometimes', right? And leaving you by yourself didn't work, so I'll stay here and make sure you get some rest. You've looked out for me a lot, between when we first met, helping me with and getting to school, at the beach… I haven't gotten to do much for you, outside of one tour of Ines, so… Lemme look out for you this time." The girl finished, her voice trailing off toward an odd shyness, yet holding a sincerity and softness within each word.

Negi paused. After that, he couldn't so simply brush her off. The girl was like him in that they were persistent when it came to helping others and their concern. Not only that, this situation was stirring up a nostalgic feeling in the child. He'd had some of his students, particularly Asuna, try to _force_ him to take care of himself whenever he went too far. Without someone like that around, he was starting to slip into some bad habits again, wasn't he? He appeared to need someone like this more than he liked… "Alright… Thank you, Minowa-san, come in then." The mage retreated back into the room, heading over to take a seat on the bed again, beckoning Gin inside.

"Sorry for the trouble, again. I guess I've been slipping into some bad habits without someone around. Fate told me to relax a bit on the day we went to the beach, but I guess it was hard to listen when we're working together on getting home. He didn't seem too pleased about the situation." He knew Fate meant well and had been somewhat forceful, but they had yet to go this far. Not that he could blame them, given how they were busy themselves with working.

"Hey, it's okay. Sounds like you had someone to pull you back from doing this stuff in your world." Gin said, taking a seat on the chair in the room, the back of it facing toward Negi and being used as a headrest for Gin's chin. "Go ahead and lie down first, you're supposed to be trying to sleep." The girl gestured to the arranged pillows on Negi's bed with a hand.

"A few people." Negi said, nostalgic memories coming back to him, leaning on his side as Gin had requested. From simple matters to overworking himself, to the more dangerous ones like when he was grappling with not losing control to Magia Erebea's corruptive influence, he'd often had people there to help get through it. "I was never quite this bad before, at least I think, though maybe that's because I had people who were watching out for me."

"I bet they had their hands full..." Gin muttered, a vaguely amused grin stretching across one side of her cheek. "Having trouble sleeping cause of that? Worried about everyone you know back home, I'm guessing."

Negi nodded, a small frown making its way onto his face. "That's a big part of it, yes. There's a lot going on in my world I and a lot of people close to me are involved in, just like how you and your friends are responsible for defending against the Vertex to keep the world safe."

Gin's expression lowered, a contemplative heaviness in her eyes, offering a sympathetic frown. "Ah, so you're busy with some big stuff back in your home. No wonder you're worried..."

"I'm not the only one directly dealing with it, unlike you three." Negi quickly corrected with a wave of his hand. "But Fate and I both have an important part in dealing with it all and us not being there could have a large impact." The finer details of everything were too much and too sensitive to go over. It wasn't that he didn't trust Gin, but the full scope of the hurdles he faced would've been difficult for many people to understand, on top of what secrets it held. But he didn't mind discussing being involved in something this important, especially with another person who could understand having so much riding on you.

"But, it's more than just that. I'm sure everyone's worried about us, even aside from those large problems. My class had just gone through graduation and was entering their first year of high school, a very busy time for many of them. But, not only do I not know if _they're_ fine, they don't know how _I'm_ doing. We're all important to each other, so I'm sure it must be causing them a lot of trouble." Frowning, the mage continued with a low tone. His class hadn't exactly ever been 'normal' and they all had plenty of worries, but many of them seemed to of become stable once the ordeal with Mundus Magicus had been resolved. With him gone and no way for anyone to know if he was safe, especially with the kind of enemies he had lurking out there, everyone must've been so worried.

"Hrm…." Gin hummed, closing her eyes to think, tapping the back of her chair with a finger rhythmically.

"You know..." The girl began slowly. "When I was fighting those three Vertex and things looked bad, I wondered a bit about how everyone would be if I… didn't make it back. Not that that's what I planned!" Gin quickly corrected, her voice rising briefly into a more light hearted, casual tone, before falling back toward the more serious one. "But, I mean, just in case... I thought about how my family was gonna manage, how Sumi and Sonoko would keep fighting the Vertex, if they were all going to be okay without me around..." The girl paused, looking down toward the floor in thought for a few seconds, letting her words hang over the air surrounding Negi and her.

"And wanting to protect everyone, not make em go through that, that stuff helped keep me going in that fight, but… I think they'd still be okay." Gin stated, refocusing her attention back toward Negi. "And that was for something you can't ever fix." Gin's voice rose toward a more optimistic tone. "You're not in any danger of dying and hey, things worked out fine in the end for me, didn't they? So, I'm sure everyone misses and is worried about you, but I bet they're managing just fine right now and you'll make it work out somehow." Flashing a wide, comforting smile, Gin reassuringly stated. However, there was an odd, almost unnoticeable hesitation in her smile, like something was holding it back from being as bright as it could be.

Negi couldn't help the small grin appearing on his face from the optimistic words, but, before he could respond, a small yawn escaped his mouth.

"Hehe." Gin chuckled at the sight, a cheeky grin on her face, the earlier hesitation apparently gone. "Thought talking about this stuff might help. See? You're looking tired now."

Well, he couldn't deny he _did_ feel more run down and getting to air the concerns weighing on his chest, did feel better. The bed was feeling increasingly comfortable and inviting, his head had even slipped onto the pillows by now.

"Besides, I bet those people who did this stuff for you, would be real mad if they knew what you were doing now." Gin teased with a small giggle.

She had him there as well… Maybe it wouldn't hurt to at least _try_ sleeping again. "Alright, fine..." Negi muttered with a defeated sigh. "But, thank you for the concern and talking with me, Minowa-san." He was lucky to have someone that went through this much trouble for his sake, even here. Gin certainly was a kind and thoughtful person.

"It's the least I can do with everything you've done for me. Now, get some sleep. I'm not leaving till you do." Negi heard Gin state as he closed his eyes, feeling darkness come toward him easier than before, even with some concerns still lingering.

* * *

Finally… She'd managed to get him to at least try to sleep. It'd been a little easier than she expected, admittedly, but with him already tired, that likely helped. Gin knew herself it got harder to stay awake if you were exhausted and had a bed under you. She would still have to stick around for a little and ensure they were actually asleep. Not that she expected him to fake her out, but someone like Negi appeared to need a person like her to look after them and she wanted it done right.

However, that left Gin alone with her thoughts, and without anyone else watching her, she felt a small frown take over her face because of it. There was still that odd weight in her chest that came up when talking about him returning home… It was normal to miss a friend if they were going to be gone for a while, wasn't it? But Negi's situation wasn't like say, moving to the other end of Shikoku. If someone did that, while she wouldn't be able to see them in person as much, at least it'd be possible to keep in contact over the internet or something. Here? That definitely wasn't an option, far as she saw. Once he was gone, she wasn't going to see him until they came back, as even if hypothetically there was a way for Gin to easily travel to his world, she couldn't because of her duty. The Vertex could come at _any_ time and the three Heroes were normally the only defenses, the mages being a temporary thing. But he'd come back for sure, wouldn't he? While still quite busy from the sounds of it, their situation sounded a bit more stable, given his comment about there being more than him or Fate solely involved. Even with these assurances though, her heart still felt a pang of _sadness_ at the idea of him eventually leaving that refused to go. Ugh, why was this so difficult for her? She was friends with plenty of the boys in her class and had no issues, but everything with Negi felt _different_. She wanted them to get home and take off this stress, but she couldn't deny how much she would miss him and wished things could be simpler.

Some rustling drew Gin's attention elsewhere, forcing her to bury such questions for now. In the bed, Negi had a troubled expression on his closed eyes, and shifted in the bed uncomfortably, hand tightly gripping the covers. Was he having a nightmare or something? Maybe the earlier talk didn't help quite as much as Gin hoped. What was she going to do about this now? Normally, she might've woken him up to get rid of the bad dream, but with how much work it'd taken to get him asleep in the first place, that didn't seem like a good idea.

Gin pursed her lips, a potential idea coming to her. She _had_ been looking at a spell to see dreams. She'd originally taken an interest from some of the wild dreams Sonoko had told everyone about, wanting to see them for herself sometime if Sonoko didn't mind sharing their contents. But that was a different situation than this.

Seeing the mage turn again, Gin made up her mind. She wasn't sure if this would work, having not had much of a chance to use it in practice, but perhaps it was something she could at least try. Whatever it was seemed to be troubling Negi quite a bit and she wanted to help.

Slowly, Gin placed her hand on Negi's forehead, as she remembered from the spell instructions, and muttered a quick chant.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

For the curious, Gin's mother's name, Kogane, has the meaning of "gold" in Japanese and was the reason I picked it.

Secondly, school begins in 3 weeks for me and it's looking to be an incredibly rough one. Unfortunately, that likely means updates will slow down significantly once it begins. However, 3 weeks is still quite a bit of time and I'm making decent progress, so I'm confident of getting 2, maybe even 3, chapters finished within that timeframe. Expect 18 in a week or two!


	18. Chapter 18

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Alright everyone! Chapter 18 out, and with it, I have some news, both good and bad. School's picking up starting tomorrow from this update and as such, I'm going to be prodigiously busy and so updates are likely going to slow back down to a crawl at best. This semester is looking particularly hard for me. The good news, though, is that chapter 19 is almost finished, and so I should have one more update before everything slows down, hopefully won't be too long.

One further note as well. Unfortunately, fanfiction isn't playing nice with a certain type of formatting I wanted to use when it came to this chapter, so I've had to compromise a little. The story is also up on Ao3 if one would like to see the "intended" effect in the text. Just add what's below to the homepage URL for Archive of our Own to get to the chapter, as FF ALSO likes to eat any full links not associated with itself, youtube, or fictionpress. Sorry about the inconvenience. Kudos appreciated there if you do go!

/works/14250684/chapters/47889019

Thanks again everyone for reading and sticking with it through the update schedule, I hope I'll manage to still get some work done despite school. As always, any comments or reviews welcomed.

* * *

A dusty haze blanketed the sky, stretching across the red, rocky landscape of the world for as far as the eye could see. Large canyons and mountains dotted the landscape, illuminated by one of the only readily visible objects of the planet's sky, the Sun. The light of stars barely pierced through the veil over the world, many that would normally be visible unable to pass their light into the dusty atmosphere, leaving the fading heart of the Solar System it's near sole occupant. It was an alien world, unlike any location upon Earth

It was the world that _used_ to be Mundus Magicus.

This was all wrong, Negi thought as he turned into lightning, rocketing backwards to avoid a black whip that detonated the ground he had been standing upon. He hadn't been gone for long, the world had been stabilized for the next hundred years while a more permanent solution was worked on. There were plans laid out, an entire planet's resources dedicated toward it, the world's most powerful and intelligent mages helping how they could with his plan. Everything was _fine_ before he and Fate had vanished from the world. There should have been a bustling city to come back to at this very location.

But it had all been meaninglessto the one standing before him. There was no city to be found anymore, no world teeming with life that used to reside atop the planet's surface.

Standing atop a hill opposite from Negi, rested a figure draped in a pure black robe that obscured all their body features. Large stretches of cloth gently swayed under their own power in the windless world, contracting and expanding in size with every motion they made, mere arm lengths from the being one moment, to several times their bodies' height the next. The only distinctive features of the figure among their fabrics folders, were two small gold pins at shoulder level that held in place another section of the cloak, and their face, but it might have been easier for Negi if the same darkness over their body had hidden it as well. Bright auburn hair rested atop it, hiding a darker under layer, very like Negi's own. Piecing, soulless looking eyes starred at the mage with a condescending, subdued grin.

But there was far more to the figure than their visual appearance, it was the _least_ intimidating part of them next to what assaulted Negi's other senses. Every atom of his body screamed to _leave_ , to get as far away from them as possible, nothing mattered about the location, merely that it was anywhere but near _this._ Immortality mattered not. World class magical abilities mattered not. Any move was **death.**

 **"Ａｎｄ ｎｏｗ, ｙｏｕ ｓｅｅ．"** The figure spoke with a deep voice, coming both from them and around them, their words hanging in the air like an echo. **"Ｕｐｏｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｂｒｏｋｅｎ ｗｏｒｌｄ ｏｆ ｍｙ ｃｒｅａｔｉｏｎ， ｔｈｅ ｓａｍｅ ｔｒｕｔｈ Ｉ ｔｏｌｄ ｙｏｕｒ ｆａｔｈｅｒ． Ｔｈｅｒｅ ｉｓ ｎｏ ｓｏｌｕｔｉｏｎ ｔｏ ｓｏｌｖｅ ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ． Ｙｏｕ ｍｅｒｅｌｙ ｄｅｌａｙｅｄ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｅｖｉｔａｂｌｅ， ａｂａｎｄｏｎｉｎｇ ｔｈｉｓ ｗｏｒｌｄ ｔｏ ｉｔ'ｓ ｓｌｏｗ ｃｏｌｌａｐｓｅ， ｕｎａｂｌｅ ｔｏ ｓａｖｅ ｗｈａｔ ｙｏｕ ｓｔｒｏｖｅ ｓｏ ｄｅｆｉａｎｔｌｙ ｆｏｒ．"**

The being sighed, their grin growing wider and more expressive. "But," The voice had changed, the overt malice gone, replaced instead by arrogant dismissal. It was now _his_ voice. "I was way older than you were when I did it, so I guess expecting a 10-year-old to save the world was a bit much."

"Even if you are my son."

Negi's hands tightened. They were toying with him, using his father's voice to further taunt him, but it didn't hurt any less. Even if they had rushed back, it just wasn't enough, costing the world and any chance at saving his father from The Lifemaker. But, even with how hopeless things looked, running was no option, even if he had wanted to.

"Enough of that though." The Lifemaker stated, pulling out one hand from beneath their robe, wrapped in the same deep black as the rest of their body. **"Ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｎｏ ｅｘｃｅｐｔｉｏｎ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｅｖｉｔａｂｌｅ．"**

The next movement was near impossibly fast. Negi threw himself aside fast enough to go around the world in a blink, but even as fast as he was and the distance, the god's fist struck mere feet from where he had been. The impact shook the entire horizon like an earthquake, stone was vaporized and tossed aside like it were paper, the ground breaking apart in a violent explosion more terrifying than a meteor, its shockwave blowing Negi back through the air.

Less reacting to seeing an attack coming and more anticipating the follow up, Negi raised his hand, blocking another strike, the sheer force reverberating through his whole body and once more sending them flying.

Spinning to align himself upright, Negi planted his feet firmly in the ground, a magic circle appearing beneath him to further absorb the momentum, bringing him to a halt near instantly.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" Nagi's voice taunted while another punch flew at Negi.

Ready this time, Negi swerved to the right, pressing his right palm against The Lifemaker's forearm, barely deflecting it off course from his head, while striking with his left in the same moment at their torso. But his enemy was quicker, blocking the attack with their other limb.

Stepping back, Negi avoided an arm of cloth whipping him from the side, slicing through the ground beneath him as if it weren't there. The weapon, trying to correct it's miss, darted after him with another horizontal swipe that ruptured the land it passed over, but once more stuck only air from him dashing upwards.

"Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister!" Negi started chanting, rising skyward his swirling with magical energy that transformed itself into crackling lightning. He was utterly _eclipsed_ in strength and only barely able to keep up in speed, yet he likewise had no hope of staying competitive purely in magic at range, embers beside an inferno. His best bet would be to stay closer then, but a pure fist fight would've been suicide.

" _Veniant spiritus aerialis fulgurationi-_ " More swaths of The Lifemaker's robe cut through the air around Negi like blades, attacking from numerous directions at once and giving virtually no breathing room between dodges, every swing missing by narrower and narrower margins.

" _-, cum fulgurationi... flet tempest austrina..."_ Negi continued, struggling between the onslaught, the energy called forth starting to coalescing into a vortex like pattern around his fist, growing denser with each passing moment, wind kicking up dust in the landscape around him.

Another spear of shadows dove toward the mage at lightning speed, several others wearing around the sides to block off any routes to dodge. With how thin the spaces between them were, it would've been impossible for a normal person to slip past the small cracks available.

But Negi had a trick up his sleeve.

Turning his body into a thin lightning bolt, Negi weaved between the little room available and slammed into the ground directly before The Lifemaker, striking at them with his fist near the torso, the energy from earlier dissipating from the incomplete chant, turning the blow into a regular jab that was expectantly blocked with ease by their palm.

Grinning tauntingly, his foe countered with their own flawlessly executed punch, the sides of their knuckles grazing Negi's cheek and opening a deep cut across it, the injury closing nearly the instant it appeared. The blow barely missed, sending a destructive wave in its wake. This had been the counter Negi was hoping for.

" _ **Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens!"**_ Attacking with his other limb, Negi finished the spell chant and fired it out of his fist at near point blank, causing a tremendous storm of lightning and wind to explode out of his hand before making contact, enveloping The Lifemaker's entire body with a direct hit, blowing away the ground beneath them, continuing onward, and drilling through the walls of the crater formed by their initial punch like they were paper. Yet, he wasn't done, far more would be needed to even scratch this enemy. Following through on the swing, the skin of the mage's arm turned a dark black, glowing purple rune marks appearing across it as magic from Magia Erebea empowered the arm, amplifying the weight behind it tremendously. Punching through the destructive storm ravaging the landscape, Negi struck with all the force he could summon in his fist, feeling it satisfying collide with the deity's chest.

And it unsatisfying barely budge.

"That wasn't too bad. You've come pretty far and I felt that one a little." Nagi's cocky voice commented, accompanied by a whip of The Lifemaker's cloak that forced Negi back and dispersed the already vanishing remnants of his spell. The only indication Negi's combination had any effect, being two paces backwards from his foe's initial stance and slightly scuffed up mark upon the cloak where his fist had connected, with even that vanishing just as Negi's own wound had. "But, how about your old man shows you how it's done."

The Lifemaker's hand sparked with the same energy his had earlier and every alarm in Negi's body screamed at once to _move._

Cutting through a stream of cloth, Negi rocketed kilometers to the right a fraction of a second before the largest usage of Thunderous Gale he'd even seen erupted from the most powerful mage's fingertips. It was enormous, eclipsing his version like a tornado dwarfed a gentle breeze. The ground shook, rocks disappeared, mountains gave way, all that it touched simply ceased to be on contact with the terrifying storm, if it even survived long enough to touch the ferocious wind and lightning.

When its horrific form started to fade, the devastation left behind it was clear to see. The spell had carved an entire valley across the surface of the world, wide as a mountain was tall, deep as a monument was high, stretching far beyond the horizon in length, clouds of dust that had thickly blanketed that area of the landscape now blown away into nothingness, revealing a clear sky of stars in the hole left by it.

This was ridiculous, absurd. That one unchanted spell was more than a match, for even his strongest moves, moves that took time, yet it'd been thrown out at a moment's notice with bottomless power. This was far more than a simple uphill battle, defying the hammer of God was attempting to scale a jagged, sheer cliff barehanded. But, something else about this didn't feel quite right, though it was hard to give it any thought with the current threat.

Another flash of danger refocused Negi back toward The Lifemaker, already in melee range once again. The god threw a lightning quick jab, missing Negi by a hair and having their limb pushed outward by Negi's forearm.

The child continued with a palm strike using his other hand, but it was likewise batted away. Shifting his grip on the arm, Negi grabbed the wrist of it and pulled forward, transitioning the arm he blocked with into an elbow strike, yet it only collided with The Lifemaker's own palm, their strength too great for Negi to overcome and pull back into the attack.

But, _his_ strength was far from insurmountable to the enemy. The Lifemaker raised a knee, holding onto Negi's arms with unreal force and leaving the child only their own legs to block, a defense that did little to soften the impact against his stomach.

Not allowing Negi a single moment to breath, The Lifemaker quickly shifted stances, sending a jab at the same spot he'd stuck a moment ago, preventing Negi from rolling with the blow by pulling the child into it, bones breaking and regenerating in the same breath from the attacks, yet there was no mercy to be found against the unstoppable onslaught.

Still gripping their forearm, Negi's foe spun around and viciously threw the child downward with staggering strength and speed, a complex mandala patterned circle appearing to their side and calling forth a wave of overwhelming, pure black energy from it to strike Negi and magnify the eventual impact to the ground with yet another devastating attack.

Recovering abnormally fast with his regeneration, Negi raised his arms, weaving his magic into layer upon layer of barriers, as numerous and durable as he could manage in the brief instant between being thrown and impact. But, even with all the power he could summon, the impact of the single attack shook his shields violently, the weight of it pushing the child downward and increasing their already rapid descent, even with his defenses absorbing much of the initial impact. Black wisps splintered off to the side as the main body grinded against the obstacle before it. One, two, three layers ceased to be on impact, further layers quickly being whittled away by the staggering force within the blast, shards chipping away like broken glass.

And this wasn't even the main attack.

The blast was slowly starting to recede in size, most of Negi's barriers having broken in trying to stop it, and that was the worrying part. The Lifemaker was surely going to use this as cover to get closer and he had not any time to waste. Dodging wouldn't have done him any good, nor did he have the time to prepare another spell normally, not that it would've had much effect. But, already in his lightning form, there was one option that maybe he could use to turn this to his advantage, one he had been practicing, even if it was incredibly risky. There was no choice left for the child though, as all his other moves were as trying to smash steel with glass.

Any moment now and his chance would come up, barely an instant of a window of opportunity.

Just as expected, The Lifemaker's cloaked form appeared behind the blast as it faded, their body simply _barreling_ _through_ the already weakened barriers without so much as a proper attack, fist already pulled back to resume their barrage, but the child was prepared.

Hands turning black once more from the magic empowering them, Negi reached out with his left hand to intercept his opponent's, grabbing and just barely holding it back with monumental effort. While readying his other to counter, both fighters slamming into the ground from The Lifemaker's force pushing Negi downward, crashing into it with world shaking force, dust and rock throw about in a manner like from a meteor impact, cracks stretching and splitting open to explode apart the next second.

But the plan was for naught against unfathomable power.

 **"．．． Ａ ｖａｌｉａｎｔ ｅｆｆｏｒｔ， ｙｅｔ ｌａｃｋｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｎｖｉｃｔｉｏｎ ｔｏ ａｃｃｏｍｐｌｉｓｈ ｉｔ．"** The Lifemaker's hollow, menacing voice taunted Negi, their fist centimeters from his face and barely restrained, the child's hand desperately shaking in the effort it took to hold it back. But, while Negi's fist held their's back, The Lifemaker's second limb likewise gripped something, a colossal spear of lightning, longer than a bus, half of its shaft, almost too big to properly grip, extending several meters past them. The other half embedded within the ground beneath them, Negi's own hand gripping it in turn. And just to further restrict Negi's options, their left leg remained firmly planted into his chest.

Damn it, his plan hadn't worked… The spear he used was formed from the most powerful lightning spell in existence, the same thing he used twice to transform into his lightning form, which in lied his secret to throwing it out so quickly. The spell had _already_ been cast twice with him in said form. Magia Erebea made spells far more fluid than normal, letting even spells fundamentally incompatible on a conceptual level be blended together. With it, he could take the spell that had already been used for a purpose, its energy still active, and reconstruct it back into the explosive form normal castings of it took, then given the form of a spear via merger with another spell, _Jaculatio Fulgoris,_ to focus all the destructive power into one singular point for unrivaled piercing force. Its power was over ten times that of the first spell Negi had struck The Lifemaker with, leaving it one of the only tools he had which could have even begun to oppose his enemy's casual magic, perhaps even have done _damage._ Negi could've even had the element of surprise, as given the way he used it, there wouldn't have been any spike in magic to detect its usage, given the spell was already cast.

 _And he had still missed._ Why? Was it that odd feeling from earlier that grew? Did his enemy simply react too fast? No, that wasn't it, those were factors, but the answer was something far simpler that he already knew.

The Lifemaker's expression spread to a low, condescending smirk. **"Ｉ ｃａｎ ｆｅｅｌ ｙｏｕｒ ｔｕｒｍｏｉｌ． Ｎｅｇｉ Ｓｐｒｉｎｇｆｉｅｌｄ． Ｄｅｓｐｉｔｅ ｙｏｕｒ ｆａｔｈｅｒ＇ｓ ｏｗｎ ｉｎｓｉｓｔｅｎｃｅ ｏｆ ａ ｄｅａｔｈ ｗｉｓｈ， ｙｏｕ ｒｅｍａｉｎ ｕｎａｂｌｅ ｔｏ ｒａｉｓｅ ｙｏｕｒ ｈａｎｄ ａｎｄ ｃａｒｒｙ ｉｔ ｏｕｔ．Ｙｏｕｒ ｎａｉｖｅ ｈｏｐｅ ｔｏ ｓａｖｅ ａｌｌ， ｓｉｍｐｌｙ ｃｏｎｄｅｍｎｓ ｔｈｅｍ ｔｏ ａ ｗｏｒｓｅ ｆａｔｅ． Ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ ａ ｌｅｓｓｏｎ ｍａｎｙ ｂｅｆｏｒｅ ｙｏｕ ｈａｖｅ ｔｒｉｅｄ ｔｏ ｄｅｎｙ， ｙｅｔ ａｒｅ ｄｏｏｍｅｄ ｔｏ ｒｅｌｅａｒｎ ｉｎ ｅｖｅｒｙ ｅｒａ．"**

"Even… if..." Negi started, struggling to force out the words between holding The Lifemaker's fist back with his own. "We knew the whole world… Would be destroyed tomorrow…" The force being exerted by The Lifemaker's arm ever so slightly lightened, letting Negi force is back. We wouldn't… Give up!" The child fiercely shot back, refusing to let their words get to him. You couldn't always save everyone, it was true. But, sometimes you _could,_ even if it looked insurmountable, even if the odds seem impossible, and for that reason, it was always worth fighting to find those times where everyone could be saved.

"That's what it means to be human. That's what my father said, after all." Negi shot back, a defiant grin firmly spread across his face, the same fire in Negi's words he had seen his father use against The Lifemaker before.

A silence fell over the battlefield, stillness gripping the destroyed landscape that, less than a second ago, was being violently torn apart with more power than any natural disaster could summon.

Until a subdued smile came over The Lifemaker's face.

"You're a damn stubborn kid… But, you can't do this and hold back when you see me for real next time. You got way too far to go and will really die."

Negi froze. That wasn't The Lifemaker using his parent's voice to taunt them. That was _Nagi,_ his father, speaking. What did he mean by 'for real next time'? The Magical World was gone, everything erased by The Lifemaker and those few that could be 'saved' sent to a 'better' place. So, why did his father say-

No, it wasn't gone. Him and Fate hadn't even returned home yet to see what had happened. This wasn't the surface of the magical world's remains he stood on. This wasn't real. That presence was however, and he knew exactly the person it was. This nightmare needed to end.

His father's suspicious words lingering in his mind, the 'dream' world started to fade.

* * *

Gin felt her eyes suddenly open, greeted by darkness once more and forcing her to blink several times. The open and alien like landscape of that strange world was gone now, replaced instead by the familiar dimness of the room Negi was borrowing for staying over. Oddly though, she felt something soft and cloth like beneath her head, acting like a rest for it. She knew she wasn't using anything before performing the magic, so what was-

"Sorry you had to see that, Minowa-san."

Gin bolted upright and back to alertness at hearing Negi's voice come from above her and off to the side. She had been sitting in a chair when using this spell! Had she slumped forward or something in unconsciousness?

No, never mind that. What the **hell** had she just seen? A landscape and sky that felt like it didn't belong on Earth that overlooked a 'broken' world the person Negi was fighting had created. But most shockingly, that person was his _father._ Gin could barely even begin trying to make a coherent picture out of what she witnessed, only able to stare at Negi with a concerned frown while trying to form some kind of response. Where did one even _start_ on such a disorienting assault of information?

"What did you see?" Negi asked gently, his lips curved pensively.

"I saw… you fighting your otou-san in a weird looking place and him talking about it being his world." Gin slowly answered. A few pieces were starting to sort themselves within Gin's frazzled mind. Negi mentioned his father having a very complicated situation he was trying to fix, that it was one of their drives for getting home, but he hadn't elaborated on it at the time. And then, there was the way Negi was asking about this dream.

"… That's what you were talking about when I asked why he just saved your village and left, wasn't it?" Gin asked, a rare depressive look overtaking her face. She didn't even need to hear his answer to know. Friends and family, those two things were Gin's world and what gave it light. And to Negi, the little she had heard him speak on them, they likewise deeply care for and idolized their father. During the brief lapse between when Sumi and Sonoko sustained the massive injuries from the triple attack and Gin had been able to check on their horrible wounds, the thought of losing some of the most precious people in her heart had created one of the only times Gin had genuinely been terrified. And to fight the person you cared most about, your _family,_ with them so clearly trying to kill you _?_ That was something Gin felt her heart grow heavy with sympathy toward Negi for.

Negi solemnly nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that's exactly it. I'm certain he was fighting against the possession he's under now or had a brief lapse of regaining control when saving me years back. He left for my own and everyone else's safety while he still had some control of himself."

Gin frowned sympathetically, but she didn't let the sour mood defeat her. There was no way the situation could've been hopeless, surely. She'd seen many times in stuff she read or watched where someone had their mind controlled and was broken free of it. Sure, that was fiction, but there had to be _something._ It was never truly finished till it was over, and Gin had been prepared to protect everyone to her dying breath for that exact reason. And from what Negi had said in the dream, he seemed like that kind of person too.

However, Gin didn't make any immediate comments. Considering Negi's adoration of his father and how smart they were with all this magic, surely he must've already been considering ideas or what to do. Negi surely must've had his reasons for not bringing up such a deeply personal issue last time, and so trying to comment much, even if optimistically, without understanding the situation, wouldn't have as much weight. She was the kind of girl to believe in impossible odds anyway, but if she understood some of the situation, Negi willing to share, and still tried to encourage him? That'd likely mean a lot more.

"So..." Gin started with a gentle tone, leaning against her chair and looking into Negi's eyes with sympathy. "What happened with him? How'd he get possessed? Only if you feel like talking about it."

"No, it's fine." Negi shook his head, offering a subdued, heavy smile that looked like it belonged on someone much older than him. "You've seen it and I know you'd just worry about me forever otherwise, so I would like you know."

Negi paused for a second to let the affirmation sink in and Gin to direct her full attention to the oncoming words, before continuing. "Years, ago well before I was born, my father fought with a group against an organization that tried to erase the Magical World. To make it short, they and the forces of Mundus Magicus eventually pushed the organization back to their stronghold as they were preparing the last steps to erase the planet."

Gin listened intently, curious and nodding along with the explanation. In a way, it was interesting to hear about something so large in scale and a wide world of fantastical things, when her's was the small island of Shikoku, but that wasn't important right now.

"With their backs to the wall and mostly defeated, yet so close to winning, their enemy leader appeared, The Lifemaker. My father and his master went to battle her, and after a long, incredible battle, they managed to win." Negi continued the story, his voice with recounting the words, further damped by some of the exhaustion that had set in and lead to him staying the night. "… But destroying her wasn't enough and she possessed my father's master before leaving."

Gin tapped the side of her chair a few times, a sense of confusion settling in. Negi had stopped the story for a moment, and it sounded like whatever reason their father's master got possessed, must've been what happened to him. But, something didn't add up, making the girl raise a curious eyebrow. "Wait, so that's who possessed your father, right?" Gin slipped into using the English word for Negi's parent with his usage of it over the Japanese one. "Then… What did she mean about that place being 'my world'."

Negi's expression raised slightly, not quite a smile, yet neither a full frown. "It's exactly what it sounds like. The Lifemaker apparently got that title in part because of how she created and brought life to an entire world."

"E-Eh?!" Gin blinked, her jaw dropping a small inch. Had she just heard him right? That being, the one who most likely was possessing Negi's father, had created a brought life to a whole _planet?_ Gin herself wasn't knowledge on myths and legends, like Sumi was, but she knew lots of stuff, fiction included, usually had backstories about creating the world. But it was an _entirely_ different matter to actually see the single being responsible for and was the God of an entire world with her own eyes, well, _sort_ _of_ with her own eyes. Maybe that had explained the almost instinctive thought of wanting to be _anywhere_ but around that thing upon seeing them. "But, why were they trying to destroy the world then?" Who would create so much life to simply destroy it later?

"That's another long story." The child appeared to have many of those. "But, to try and make it short for now, they thought it was the only way to save what they could of the world while it was stable."

Gin crossed her arms, trying to make sense of the information Negi had given her. They had loads of 'long stories' she was curious about, but she didn't want to get too side tracked from the current topic. "If they can make a whole _planet,_ can't they just, I dunno, fix whatever is wrong?"

Negi responded with a dismissive shake of his head. "Maybe they could, I'm not sure. But, that wouldn't solve what they viewed as the bigger problem and why they were trying to erase the world. It goes into how they possess people and why they can't be defeated normally. I'll explain in a minute."

Gin tilted her head, the answer doing little but perplexing her, but Negi said they would explain this time, so she remained otherwise silent for the time being.

"Anyway, as you can probably guess, my father had another encounter with The Lifemaker. I don't know all the details of what happened in that fight, but he managed to win again."

 _Again?_ "Man… Your father must really be the strongest mage ever to fight something like that and win _twice._ " Gin interjected with a little lightness to her tone, earnest in the comment, but also trying to help raise the mood a little. She could see one reason to idolize him if the man could accomplish cool feats like that. Dream it was and so she couldn't be too sure how accurate it really was, it was sure something to know the man had successfully stood up to, more than once, the being that made Negi look helpless.

"I told you." Negi answered with a small grin, his voice back to their usual lightness, like their troubles were gone for a moment. But, it was only for a moment. His features fell down once again before continuing.

"This time, they were possessed. And that brings me to why they were-" A quick yawn escaped out of Negi's mouth. "-possessed."

Before Negi could answer, Gin felt the infectious gesture get one out of her as well, the brief lapse starting to make the girl keenly aware of her own tiredness.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to rest." Negi commented with an almost teasing tone, yet an undercurrent of weariness seeping in to it, a smile of amusement across his face.

"Hey, hey. I'm not the one who's stayed up for almost a whole month." Gin responded with dry sarcasm. "It's not _that_ late, can't be more than an hour past when I usually sleep." Continuing, the girl reached for her phone to double check and be sure of her assessment.

"It's actually been around three hours since everyone went to bed." Before she could even activate her phone screen, Negi corrected the girl with a blunt smile.

3 hours? Now way it could be that lat-

Gin's free arm went slack upon her terminal displaying the time. _It actually was that late._

The girl's attention slowly turned back toward the mage, looking at him dryly, her expression one of exasperated resignation. Maybe her sense of time wasn't doing her many favors with not being late too…

"Alriiiiiiight." Gin admitted with a sigh, a hint of bemusement coming over her face before looking back at Negi. "Wouldn't make much sense if I kept you up super late after coming here to make sure you slept in the first place, and I'd look pretty silly if I stayed up too."

"A little." Negi answered. "I can tell you the full story at a better time, if you want."

"Yeah..." Gin admitted with a sigh. This was gonna bug her for a while and not help sleep herself, but she would manage. Truthfully, there was one more quick question Gin would have liked to ask about this mysterious being known as The Lifemaker, and that was if they were the person who had created Fate. The other mage was ridiculously powerful, just like Negi, along having mentioned being created and also being 'born' with absurd magical power that was top class. And the kind of constructs Fate made which were used for training with the girls, those were way different from him. None of them had a single spark of life. While she obviously didn't know much about Negi's world, if anyone could've made such a human like construct who simply _was_ powerful, she would've bet it was someone that created a whole world and known flat out as 'The Lifemaker'. Sadly, the white-haired boy was always so tight lipped, but that was a pretty personal detail and she respected their right to privacy if not wanting to discuss it, as it seemed like Negi did. So, she could let it lie for now.

"Anyway." Gin changed her tone to a soft, yet determined one, smiling with reassuring eyes at Negi. She had been wanting to hear the full story before saying this, but with them winding down for now, she wasn't going to leave it unsaid. "I don't know everything going on with your father, and I'm sure it's probably really complicated or involves a lot of stuff over my head. So, it's easy for me to say it, but I'm sure things will work out with him someday. It isn't over till it's over and he's still alive, so I bet you'll figure out something to catch up on those years you missed with them."

Leaning forward, Gin put her arm around Negi's shoulder and pulled them half into a hug. A good hug often helped people she saw while feeling down and Gin felt particularly touched by the issue herself, given how important family was to her. "And if I can ever help you with anything about it, you tell me."

"Thank you... Minowa-san, I appreciate wanting to help." Gin saw Negi's expression rise into a more honest, at ease smile, even if much of the weight behind it remained, the boy returning the gesture with an arm around her back, cheek briefly pressing against her's.

Gin froze at the contact, suddenly becoming keenly aware of what she had done, heart skipping a few beats.

In her less than 100% state, also caught up by the moment, and cord Negi's problem struck, Gin had given them a comforting hug, something she did whenever her friends or family looked especially depressed. _The problem, was she had a brief lapse in forgetting the position and how close it put her to Negi._

Pulling back from the hug, and trying not to take Negi's arm off with how quick she returned to her sitting position, Gin felt her face burning intenser than ever before. "S-So, um, s-should, gotta, um-" Gin struggled to form words, mind spinning. That had been the closest she'd ever been with Negi, enough to feel his pleasantly soft che-

 _Wait, no. Dammit._

Now wasn't the time for this! Even if it had felt so nice and war-

 _Arg, why did she keep doing this!?_

"Are you alright, Minowa-san?" A cross between perplexed and concerned, Negi questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"F-Fine, ju-" Deep breaths. She needed even a _second_ to try collecting herself.

Sighing deeply and helping return some coherency to her thoughts, even if still feeling frazzled and cheeks aflame, Gin found her words again. "Just… You gonna be okay to sleep now?" Damn, that had come out shyer than she intended. She would've stayed if required, but given how late it was and the current time, not sleeping herself would've set a bad example.

Negi nodded without hesitation, weariness across his features and buried within their eyes. "I think so, thank you for the discussion, Minowa-san. I think I'll be okay tonight. You should be getting some rest yourself anyway."

Gin hesitated for a moment, before caving in and standing up from her chair, placing it back where she got it before taking a few paces over to the door. "Alright… Good night, Negi-san. No more bad dreams, got it?"

"Right, I promise. Good night, Minowa-san." Negi returned the farewell, waving warmly.

Finally satisfied, Gin quietly exited the room, opening and closing the door to it with equal silence to not disturb the household. Some of the skills she had gained from having two younger brothers proved useful in unexpected ways.

Pacing back to her room, Gin felt hopeful. With all Negi had done for her, she was glad for the chance to give them some help and that they trusted her enough to share personal problems like these. The kid had so much on their shoulders, a burden Gin could understand somewhat with the duty her own team had. It was a ridiculous amount for kids young as them to deal with, but Gin didn't have any regrets about her position and was happy to do it. Difficulties like this were always easier when you had support from people dear to you though, so if Gin could help even a little here, much as she didn't have the full picture, then she was content to do so.

* * *

 **SPELL TRANSLATIONS:**

 **Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens:**

Latin: Veniant spiritus aerialis fulgurientes! Cum fulguriationis flet tempestas austrina… **Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens!**  
English: Come wind, thunder spirits. Don lightning and blow, storm of the South Seas. **Thunderous Gale!**


End file.
